Bodyguard
by ScottyBgood
Summary: Tori Vega, Megastar, is on tour when something happens to force her to hire a new bodyguard. She interviews a new one in Jade, martial artist with a professional attitude and a spotty past. As they travel the world together, how will they adjust? What will Tori do when she discovers the link between their pasts? Eventual Jori, based on a suggestion by StakeTheHeart.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own.

Based on a suggestion by StakeTheheart

:}

Tori Vega, megastar and pop sensation, was standing on the stage, smiling at the throngs of her fans, enjoying the dying cheers from her final encore of the night. Like every other other show on this tour so far, this one had been a sellout. Part of it was her name, her raw talent and work ethic had won her legions of fans who adored her every move. However, Tori also knew there were some fans, newer ones, were at this show because of Trina. Her sister and manager had come up with yet another wining idea, and Tori was reaping the benefits from the older girls very tactical mind. "Thank you all, I love you, and I hope this is the concert scene they use in my next movie, The Ginger Fox Story." She called out, like she did at all the consents on this, the American leg of the tour. Then she bowed and made her way back to the back stage area, smiling.

"Tori, you did great." Andre said as he met her, guiding her to her dressing room. "I don't know which I hate more, that Trina has you saying that last bit at the end of every concert, or that you mean it. I mean, it's just gonna make you sad when they choose which set of footage to use, cause while one concert wins, every other loses. That is, unless they do a montage, which is probably Trina's plan anyways." He seemed exhausted by his own logic, finally realizing what the older girl had planned. "I get it now, how she sold the studio on backing this tour. I just thought it was her plan to make this tour a sellout while pushing the movie. I mean, it's not like you needed it, not for the tour, and you probably won't need it for the film. Cause your tori Vega, the realist girl in show business, with a huge loyal fan base who adores your every move. Still, every show sold out, sixty thousand plus people per venue, thats just… Wow." realizing he was confusing the exhausted girl, he shifted. Still, it's a trip, watching you sing a couple of Ginger Fox's classics. Every time"

The singer just smiled at her bodyguard. He'd become as close a friend as any she'd had in the last ten years, ever since she'd been plucked from obscurity after winning the American Voice competition. And Trina, who seemed to lack any other notable talent, managed to guide the singers career almost flawlessly to the top, seemingly from before she even won the competition. "Hay, who else were they gonna get to play her?" The singer asked, giving her friend a quick nudge. "I totally own those songs now. So, lets get cleaned up and head over to the after party."

The young man smiled, walked in to her dressing room to look around, checking the closets and other places where someone could hide. It was unnecessary, but he liked to be sure she was safe. Once he knew it was clear, that no one had braved security and made it past the various layers to penetrate this dressing room, motioned for her to enter. "I'll be right outside if you need me." He assured her. "Go get cleaned up." He knew it was more a formality that he check the room, but he liked doing his job. Besides, she sometimes liked to talk at him through the shower curtain. 'Sometimes she forgets we've only really known each other about seven years.'

As Tori showered, Andre called around on the radio, checking all the points, making sure there were no holes in security that might put his star in danger. After everyone gave the all clear, he asked "Okay, where's Trina?"

"Trina's already heading to the limo." Came Ryder's voice. "She'll be waiting. But tell Tori, no party. Not tonight. Trina said she doesn't feel safe here."

"It's Miami, dud, party central. Tori just wants to cut loose in her home town." The black man replied, still watching out for any trouble. "Can I speak to Trina?"

"Trina here." Her voice was it's usual neutral. "Dre, I get it, Tori's so close to home, she feels like she could just go out and blend in. But she tends to forget, we didn't have a lot of friends when we were here. Her friends were the guys who wanted to fuck her, and the girls who secretly hated her for being so pretty. Our friends are in California, the other Hollywood. I'm just saying, as her bodyguard, it's your job to convince her to stay in and maybe call the family. Have her party in her suite."

"Who decided I had to protect more then her body?" He asked. It was not that he minded. But convincing Tori wasn't easy, not when the girl had her mind set on something. Sometimes the rebellious phase she didn't have ten years ago showed up, and she wanted to prove she could do things her way. Sometimes she just wanted to be like she was before everyone knew her name.

"It's what I've expected from all her bodyguards." The older girl explained. "You've always told me that wouldn't be a problem. Besides, it'd hurt her image to be seen rubbing her fame in her old school friends faces. She's America's Sweetheart."

"Yea, yea." The bodyguard agreed. He knew by friend, Trina meant frenemies.

As expected, Tori wasn't too happy about not being able to go out and have some fun. "I've been on this tour forever." She complained. "I deserve a little fun."

"Then Call Beck." Andre suggested. "Trina's laid down the law. It's not safe here, and it wouldn't help you image." He was guiding her out of the arena, towards where the limo was. "And since when is a couple of months forever?"

"I know a place, just down the road a bit, where I used to hang out with my friends.…" Tori started as they were heading to the exit.

"Safe for normal, non-megastarts, maybe." Andre cut her off. "But you've never been normal, and the people around here, the ones not currently in your life, they didn't, don't get that. You're special, eighty two thousand people back in the stadium can all attest to that. So call Beck, have the family come round your room, and for the love of god, just stay in tonight."

The bodyguard tensed for a second as the doors parted. This was the single most dangerous part of the trip out of the venue. Security did their best, but this was the short walk to the car, under the eyes of her fans. All kinds of shit could happen here, and no one could predict the possibilities. "Hay, my fans." The singer cooed. "I'm gonna go over and sign a few autographs."

"It's not safe." Dre protested, but to no avail. The young singer walked over to the crowd and started signing stuff. She posed for selfies, signed all kinds of things, and in general did what she could to show her fans how much she appreciated them. Andre waited as long as he could before dragging her off to the car. "In." He announced, pushing the star into the back of the limo before joining her. "That was an unnecessary risk. They have to agree to a signing, which they didn't, so we didn't have enough security." He knew he was going to be ignored.

Tori was laughing. "Some girl asked me to sign her boob." She wheezed at her sister. "How many is that?"

"This tour, or overall?" The older girl asked, pulling up her notes on her pad. The car started it's trip out, but even as the girls relaxed, Ryder saw Dre staring out the window.

"Hey, whats up?" The older boy asked.

"Okay, it looks like three this tour." Trina announced, still checking her notes.

"That guy over there." The younger body guard motioned with his head. "I've seen him before."

"One of Tori's friends?" The older boy asked, now concerned. "Maybe someone in her family, or an old employee?"

"So how many overall?" The signer asked, clearly enjoying this odd part of being famous.

"I'm not sure, but definitely not family, we have completer dossiers." Andre replied. "Something to worry about."

"The numbers up." Trina giggled. "You used to average only two per tour."

"Let me know if you see him again." Ryder said. "And lets see if we can get his picture for the police. You know, just to be sure."

"Yea, but you remember that girl in Prague?" Tori said, her body shaking with laughter. "I swear, she counted at two, all on her own."

The boys could relax as the arena vanished into the rear view mirror. "Lets keep this between us, for now." Andre advised the older bodyguard. "No sense in worrying them. But lets have hotel security beefed up for whatever party they have."

The girls were laughing, remembering some of the crazy that they'd experienced on tour over the last decade. Andre smiled, happy when things got this relaxed. 'Crazy, thats what you have me for, isn't it?' He wondered. "Hay, Trina, what time we taking off tomorrow?"

"Ten AM." The older girl said. "Then we fly to the next venue, and put this place behind us."

"I miss my tour buss." Tori moaned.

"But Tori, I got the studio to spring for chartered flights for us, for the entire tour, so you can be fresh and rested for each performance. You'll only need the bus if we do a scene or two on it. Like the riding the roads shit." The manager lectured.

"Just cause Bon Jovi once flew to all their consents, now we have too?" Tori moaned.

"No, we get to." Trina corrected her sister. "You're the number one cross promotional act in the world. That means they have to pay to have the privilege of your presence. This tour, it's the culmination of years of work. I want you to be happy, and after this year, nothing can stop that."

Ryder looked over at Dre, who shrugged. "They've fulfilled their contract with the record company, and the movie studio, and just about everyone else they owed squat to. Once the tour is over and the movie released, Tori's free to pursuer whatever projects she wants."

"I knew there was a reason I told you everything." The singer gushed at her bodyguard.

"It's cause he can't just run away, he's there when your drunk, and takes care of you." Trina scolded.

"Like you said, my bestest friend in the whole wide world." The singer sighed, smiling a warm smile at her friend.

"Great." Andre groaned.

Later at the hotel, the party was getting in full swing. They'd invited the dancers, stage crew, and everyone else who'd be stuck on the tour buss for most of the next day, to come relax and unwind in the stars suit. Tori, however, wasn't enjoying her party much. She was in the next room, sitting on her bed, talking to someone she missed on the phone. "But Beck, baby, I haven't seen you in over two weeks. You know there's a rule or something about being together. I miss you." She whined.

"Tori, babe, I have this film to finish, then I'm off to New york for that role on Broadway. Not everyone made it out of American Voice with their careers set for life." The actor slash singer said. "Look, babe, I miss you. I wish I was there to show you just how much I do. I'd ask you for another special picture, but we both know how mad Trina got the last time. So lets just say I want you, and wish you were here. Look, I have an early start time tomorrow, so, I'll be dreaming of you."

Tori hung up, a scowl on her face. "Andre, I'm not I n the mood to party any more. Ger rid of everyone."

"Not that easy." He started.

Trina, who'd been near by reading her phone, just sighed, called up an app, and used it as a megaphone to get everyone's attention. "EVERYONE, IT'S BEEN FUN, BUT WE HAVE AN EARLY DAY TOMORROW, SO BED, NOW!"

Grumbling, the crowd vacated the room, watching their boss just pull the plug. "Thanks, Treen." The singer said.

"You know, you don't have to give that boy anything more then just your love." The older sister informed her. "Both of you are reaping the bennies of this relationship, but he sometimes forgets you're the bigger start."

"OH, I think he remembers." Tori started to get agitated. "Sometimes, I wish I wasn't such a honking big start, so he could feel okay to be near me."

"You'll feel better after a nights rest." The older girl assured her sister. "Andre, you and Ryder can go now. We're okay. Make sure you're packed, and I'll see you both tomorrow."

Bot guys walked out of the room, glancing back at the girls who'd made their lives so interesting. Andre gave his friend and fellow bodyguard a smile, then checked security to be sure no one could slip thought. Ryder, for his part, just drifted off towards his room, ready for the day to be over.

The whole floor was soon quiet as the crew settled down for their sleep. But Tori was still worked up. 'Beck would have liked that girl. She had a nice rack.' She thought, missing her boyfriend. It was sad, how she just wanted to cut loose and have some fun. She was finding that none of what she used to dream about was making her as happy as it used to. Or at least it wasn't making her as happy as she used to dream it would. 'I just with Beck were here so I would have one person to have fun with.'

The next day, the group rode in their secured SUV's towards the airport. "So, everything cleared for the trip?" Dre asked over the phone. "Cool." He then addressed Trina. "Planes fueled and ready. We can leave as soon as everyone's on board."

The manager didn't say a word, just rubbing her hand over Tori's, trying to comfort the singer. The pop princess was upset, but they both knew that would melt once she was in front of her fans again. It was the stress of filming that movie while rehearsing this show, then immediately going on tour, that was getting to the singer. They had completed a fair chunk of the first U.S. leg of the tour, but the whole world tour would take over a year and a half to complete. The schedule at the beginning was tight, adding to Tori's fatigue. They'd have an easier time towards the end, when they could have a day or more between shows so Tori could rest. Also, Beck was being a jerk, again, not giving Tori the kind of support he'd promised.

Trina's mind was on the condition of her talent, how the sales for the over seas parts of the show were going, and why the hell she had to deal with the studios nonsense. Mostly, deep in the back of her mind, she was wishing Tori had a real friend with her. Not someone who worked for her, but a friend who she could talk to. 'Someone to distract her from whatever it is thats soured her on fame. I mean, her fans are the only thing that seem to remind her how much fun she used to have doing this.'

They made it to the airfield, and once again there were fans waiting for them. 'How the hell are the always here? I mean, it's not like we advertise our flight schedule. So why are they at the exact right airfield, waiting for us?' Andre wondered. 'Is there a leak? Maybe with the promoters?' He addressed his friend. "Tori, did you tweet our schedule again? You know we can't afford to have that kind of risk. We need more secrecy when we fly out. "

"I swear, I didn't tell anyone." She protested, her eyes shouting her innocence. "I didn't, don't even know the details. I asked Trina not to tell me, just let me know when I had to be ready by."

Ryder watched the small crowd. "Okay, lets get moving. Tori, you can wave, but nothing more. Dre, you and me, we board last. Trina, you're gonna have to walk her on to the plane. Any questions?"

"Just who leaked this." Andre said, eyes narrowing. "Get the porter to get our luggage. I'll be on the right." Then on the radio "Bill, Ron, get your asses out of the car and help provide security. We need our wall of meat to make sure no one does anything." He made them wait until the others, from the other car, got in position, then let them get out of the SUV.

Trina led her sister over to stand near the plane, watching as the mega star waved to her fans. Near by Ron and Bill stood their ground, acting as a human shield. Tori, for her part, was yelling apologies about not being able to sign any autographs. Borrowing the app from her sister, as well as her phone, she used it as a megaphone, telling the crowd "We really need to take off as soon as possible. We can only give you guys a moment. I really wish I could give you more time. Sorry, I love my fans. I'm so sorry."

Trina had used that short time to go get the porters to grab their luggage and stow it. Then she came back and led her sister to the aircraft. "Bye! I love you all, and wish I could spend more time with you." The singer was calling to them as she was walked onto the plane. The plane was on the large side for flying private while being fast and comfortable, capable of taking them to the next venue in just a couple of hours.

As Tori found her seat, sitting opposite her sister. While Andre and Ryder were keeping an eye out, the others boarded the plane. There was Trina, her assistant Malcolm, then Kasey, Tori's assistant. After they got on board, Ron and Bill, her outer security, boarded. Ryder and Andre were the last to board, making sure that everyone's stuff was loaded and they were all ready to go. "I do wish we didn't have to be so cautious." Tori moaned to her sister, but by then the older girl had already succumbed to the work she had to do, borrowing Kasey for the extra pair of hands

"Yo, muchika." Andre called, slaughtering the Spanish language once again. "Relax, watch some TV and we'll be there in just a couple of hours." His reassuring smile replaced the sight of the crowd of fans who'd gathered for one last look at the starlet.

"I know." She sighed. "I just wish they'd ship my costumes and cloths this fast. I hate that they have to ride in the buses, all cramped and alone." The singer sighed again. "And I miss Beck."

Soon after they'd taken off, Tori managed to lose herself in television, watching old Disney movies. Her mind drifted to the next venue, the crowds, the fans, and the chance to interact with the people who propelled her to the top once again. Warm thoughts of giving back filled her, reminding her of why she became a singer once again. Smiling, she would occasionally glance at the others on the flight, and enjoy the feeling of having made it. 'I'm the reason these wonderful people are gonna be able to see the world.' She reminded herself. 'Besides, my fans deserve to see me, live and in person. I'm not selfish, like so many of the others.'

Halfway through the flight, Trina got a call, one she'd been dreading receiving since last night. With an annoyed humph, she told Tori "I have to take this." Tori waved her understanding, never taking her eyes off the flat screen, or the movie it was playing.

Trina smiled as she saw the Disney marathon her sister was watching. 'Last time, it was Degrasi.' The older girl thought, happy her sister never saw the darker side of the business. Ever since that day of the American Voice auditions, Trina has been fighting for her sister, shaping her career. 'I can't believe they didn't think she was marketable enough. No fucking edge. Ha! I proved I could take the adorkable girl next door, and turn her into a sex symbol without making her wear slut wear.' Her brown eyes locked on the call she had on hold. 'And this jerkoff wants to go and play fucking games.' She let out the breath she'd drawn in to release her anger, and hit speak. "Okay, Beck, what the fuck were you thinking?"

"That maybe I should have a manager who blows the right people so I can have my career guided like your prude of a sister does." He shot back. "I was careful. Used protection. Not gonna leave a pregnancy scare, so the girl can say what she wants, cause I'll just deny it. We're covered."

"Have you forgotten Robbie Shapiro?" Trina hissed. "Reobbarrazzi has been out to get us ever since we made a fool of him over those pictures he thought he had. Be once we proved that Tori was just showing a lot of affection to that fan, nothing untoward was happening, he acted like we were hiding shit. Tori doesn't just sleep with people, and he of all people should know that. But now, he's on the fucking war path, and your not being careful enough."

"I hear you, but still, whats the big deal if she likes pussy?" Beck added, knowing it would piss Trina off. "Okay, maybe it would undercut your whole girl next door image, but hay, at least she wouldn't be such a chizzing bore. And hay, I'm willing to share, just as long as she never forgets I'm the man in her life."

'I know they've slept together, so what the fuck does he want from her?' The older girl wondered. "Beck, you're supposed to be with my sister. As in a committed relationship. I can't have you fucking around." She got back to what, in her mind, was the focus of the disagreement.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have auditioned a boyfriend for her, back in American voice?" He shot back, almost laughing. "We both know this is for her career."

"It's for both of your careers." The manager sighed, but knew she was on the losing side of the argument. 'This time.' Tori had fallen for his charms, and he kinda fell for her, but Trina suspected the boy had fallen for his own hype much more then he'd ever fallen for Tori. 'He just couldn't handle her being the bigger draw. I told that fuckhead to go into action movies, cause they bring in the heavy pay, but no, he felt he was a romantic lead. Fuckhead.' She took another breath. "I know you think you'd be fine without her, but thats not gonna happen the way you think it will. Not if you make this a war. Now, if you promise to be careful, I'll talk to Phillip, see if we can't get you into the action genre. You can make a lot per picture once your name is out there. I know you're a good enough actor to make things believable. Didn't you study kickboxing for a while?"

"I was dating a girl who's family had her studying jujitsu, and she'd branched out." He replied. "You remember, the girl I'd just broken up with the day you auditioned me to be your sisters boyfriend?" Another dig, and one that Trina could easily let go of.

"Yea, I ignored that warning sign, and for the most part, it's been a good arrangement." Trina reasoned, glancing out the window. "Look, if you can, come visit Tori. She's watching the 'High School Musical Anniversary' marathon. She needs the distraction."

"I'll try to free up some time." He assured her. "Talk to Phillip. If the movies solid, not some action knockoff, then I'd be interested. I'm looking for that ten million per picture paycheck." It was the dream of every action star to make that kind of money. Leading man, who do romantic movies, usually have to work so much harder to get that kind of paycheck. Trina knew it would even things up a bit, maybe give Beck the ego stroke he needed to stop sleeping around on Tori.

Trina said her goodby, then hung up. 'Bribing her boyfriend to visit, what the fuck has my life come to.'

They were almost at their destination, so Trina returned to her seat to settle in and get comfortable. One look confirmed that both Bill and Ron were watching the movie with Tori, but they'd have to wait for another flight to see the rest, because they were ready to land. "Tori, when we get on the ground, lets head straight to the hotel and check in. I wanna get some work done, and I'm sure you'll want to get the rest of your security detail so you can go sightseeing." The older girl felt tired.

"OH, what did we not get to see the last time we were here?" Tori beamed. "Dre, didn't you wanna go see those churches?'

"Yea, but we don't have to." He said, watching the ground get ever closer. "It's whatever you wanna do. Just, we have a sound check at four, and I think we'll want to be on time for this one."

"When have I ever been late?" Tori asked, smiling at her enforced punctuality.

Once the plane touched down and started taxing towards it's berth, everyone started gathering their stuff. They knew the limo would be waiting for them. Everyone was taking the time to get ready to depart except for Trina, who was once more on the phone. "Cat, Trina. I need you to call Phillip, find out what he has against Beck Oliver? I mean, he guys athletic, gorgeous, and has a great stage presence."

"Beck just rubs some people the wrong way." The spunky girl replied. She was in Los Angeles, covering the business aspects of Tori's life. She was one of Tori's friends, as well as her business manager, but wasn't needed on the tour. As a result, she decided to spend this tour safely at home. "I'll call him, see is I can sweet talk him. I think he's open to persuasion, after the way the media panned his bosses last film."

"You do that." Trina said. "Look, I gotta go. I'll call you later. And could you find out who's been leaking information about our travel schedule? I swear, we have fans at the airport whenever we take off, and when we land. And I'll bet it's that Shapiro guy, getting us one more time."

"Yea, he does hold a grudge, doesn't he?" The petite girl said. "I'll see if he's turned anyone in the office. Till then, by."

Trina looked up out the window and groaned while Tori almost screamed with joy. 'How the fuck?' There was a small gathering waiting for them at the airport. Lucky, that part of the tarmac was restricted, so the group had no trouble crowding into the extra long stretched limo. "When I find out.." The manager seethed.

"You and me both." Ryder echoed.

"I just want it to stop." Andre added. "Lets hope the promoter got good talent for this show, cause Tori needs five layer. Three of us isn't enough."

"Yea, Tori," Her sister addressed her, "Don't go wandering off to see your fans. Stay near Andre, and do what he says."

"Oh, you're no fun." She pouted.

It was at the hotel when things went sideways. The hotel was supposed to have them enter through the basement, safely under restricted access, then go straight up to their rooms. But a delivery van was blocking that entrance, showing no sign of moving any time soon, forcing them to redirect to the front door. And then there was the crowd. As always lately, there was a growing crowd of Tori's fans waiting for her outside the hotel. The singer decided she didn't want to wait in the limo until the van moved. "C'mon, it's not like we're in any real danger. We just walk out of the car and through the front doors, like normal people." She begged. "Besides, some of these fans have been waiting to see me for hours. Weeks even."

"Quickly, and no stopping." The older sister warned. They had the limo pull up to the entry way, and made their way out of the car. Tori was the last out, giving her security time to set a perimeter. Tori, however, walked over to the edge of the crowd to pose with a few people, wanting to show how much she loved them. Thats when Andre saw the guy again.

"Ryder, on your ten." He called through the headsets.

"On it." The other man replied, moving quickly to intercept. The man Andre had seen took off, running away. Ryder only followed for a second,. Pulling back as he realized he'd screwed up. "Damn, it's a decoy."

As if in cue, a man stepped forward from the crowd and grabbed Tori, pulling her over the velvet rope the hotel had set up, while another moved to block Andre. Three muffled shots went off, but Dre's Kevlar stopped most of the shells impact, allowing him to take the blocker off his feat with a quick shift of his hips. That man went flying up in the air and fell back to the ground, his gun now feet away.

The man who'd grabbed Tori wasn't anywhere to be seen. As Dre frantically scanned the crowed, a teenage girl pointed to the ground at her feet, where the man lay after apparently being tripped. Said man was scampering to his feat, unable to hold the struggling star while righting himself AND fending off the small teen girl who obviously knew how to do a basic trip.

Andre raced over to take that man down again. Not taking any chances with his star so close, he used a trick he'd learned from wrestling and snapped the guys leg. "Stay down." He shouted.

The next thing he felt was a searing pain as cold steel punctured his flesh from behind. As his body started to fall, he heard a loud pop that he somehow managed to identify as a gunshot. 'I didn't make sure the first guy was down.' He thought as his world went black, the only things he was aware of where the knife wound in his back, and that he'd left his client unprotected.

:}

Yea, five thousand words and a cliff hanger. Next time, we'll meet Jade, and find out what happened to Andre.

I had a rant about how others were doing this challenge too, but it died with the time it took to edit this. So Thanks to StakeTheheart for the idea, I've already drifted from your original suggestion, hope it's okay.

Review, and i'll try not to make you wait months for the second chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.

:}

It'd all happened so fast.

Tori lay at the feet of her friend and bodyguard watching as the black man fell to the ground, a combat knife in his back. His body armor wasn't designed to stop bladed attack, better served against ballistic threats. The only thing it did was deflect the blade slightly so he wasn't dead before he hit the ground. However, by then Ryder had pulled his own gun out and shot the second kidnapper, dropping the knife wielding assailant before he could finish off the other bodyguard, or do anything to Tori. 'Andre…?' She thought, not sure if words were coming out of her mouth, or if she was just making sounds. Her world seemed to fade into a blood stained blur.

Ryder was talking to everyone. "You, call 911. We need an ambulance." Ron and Bill, both men just south of three hundred pounds of jacked up muscle and bone, were standing around, neither really knowing what do during or after this kind of violence. They were built for brawling, weapons of convenience, not combat knives and guns. This kind of violence was too much for either of them, causing both to freeze. Ryder ignored them, telling Hotel Security to act.

As that was happening, Trina braved the crowd, closing in on her sister to pull the singer to her feet before pushing her to move towards the hotel. Tori was vaguely aware of Ryder yelling for them to go into the building and get out of the crowd. Still thinking about Andre laying there, possibly dead, the singer started crying. She didn't know where she was, even as her sister guided her towards the elevators. Trina wanted to comfort her, but she was still in shock, unable to process what had just occurred. It'd all happened so quickly, blurring in her resent memory into one bloody mess. Only her instincts, to protect her family, had gotten her moving into the crowd when she heard the gunshot.

"Over here." A hotel security guard called, gesturing for them to follow his lead and go to a room just off the main entryway. "Stay here until we get this sorted out. It's safe here. I've got the rest of our people on the move now. We're locking things down." Trina was just staring, unable to say anything, barely holding onto Tori. The manager was offering what comfort she could with just her arms until her voice started working. Luckily Ryder was somehow able to function.

"Ron, you fuckhead, get back out there and make sure nothing happens to Andre." Ryder was ordering. "Bill, I need you to step up. As soon as the rooms are ready, you go make sure their not occupied, then we get Tori into hers. You stand outside, make sure no one gets in. You got that? Nod if you got that."

"We'll lock down the floor." The hotel security guard was saying. "It's all yours anyways. We'll make sure no one gets in or out unless they're on your list."

"Trina, I have to get out there." Ryder motioned with his head. "You gonna be okay?"

"No I'm not, but go. We… we need to inform the venue. We can't have her performing like this." Trina said, a worried look still on her face. As much as she wanted to rip someone a new one for this disaster, Tori needed to be looked after. Trina didn't care if they lost the money from tonight's performance, Tori needed to be protected.

"I can't let down my fans." Tori whispered, still crying. It was all too much. Andre, the kidnapping, everything. "Is he gonna be okay? Tell me he's gonna be okay." Her body started to shake.

"Where's that ambulance?" Trina asked. "I think Tori's having a panic attack." Hotel security seemed to react to that, sending someone to check the ETA for the ambulance, and another person to check on when the police would arrive. The entire time Trina never let her sister go. In the background, Kasey and Malcolm both stood by, watching helplessly as events spun out of control. Both now felt scared, and absolutely useless, like somehow all they managed during the whole crises was to be in the wrong place. As the fear slowly started to ebb, they were beset by a strange sense of survivors guilt. It was the hotel that called the venue, not them, since someone on staff there seemed able to function.

For the singer, the rest of the afternoon was tear stained blur, events almost fading into each other. Tori was vaguely aware of being loaded back into the limo and driven to the hospital. They're, she was treated for the stress and panic, then given a room so she could recover a bit. It also let her be close to where they'd taken Andre, who she asked about at least a dozen times. "Okay, I 'm happy to say that Mister Harris is going to be fine." A young doctor said, finding it strangely normal to be reporting to a hospital room instead of a waiting room.

"Thank god." A small teenage girl said. Those words were what suddenly made Tori aware that the girl was there, and had been for who knows how long. "He seemed like a nice guy." The girl added, like it was something Tori would understand. Tori slowly became cognizant that she was laying in bed, in this room, watching a Nickelodeon movie about a kid who put together a "Leverage" style team to con a man who'd taken advantage of him. The girl, who Tori for the life of her had no idea who she was, seemed to have been invited to watch with them.

"She's the one who saved your life. Our official word is she shouldn't have risked herself, but we're still grateful." Trina explained quietly, reading the confusion on her sisters face. "She had tickets for tonight, but the shows been candles. We're rescheduling, and giving the crew the night off. Candy here is getting a backstage pass for the rescheduled show. Just our way of saying thanks for not letting them toss you in a van and haul you off to who knows where."

"Miss Vega, after the movie, would you like to visit mister Harris?" The doctor asked.

"Yea." She said. 'Candy? She helped save me?' Her eyes drifted to the small, thin girl, but couldn't focus on her long enough to really make sense of things. She was too worried about Andre. Instead she was allowing her mind to kinda focus on the movie, watching the scammers try and one up the crooked shop owner and get justice.

Trina stood and walked over to the doctor. "I have a better idea." She said, a smile breaking from her weary face. A few seconds of muffled conversation later, she returned to sitting by her sister, but was also working with Malcolm on something.

Andre was moved into Tori's room, easy enough with the beds designed to simply roll where they were needed. The curtain could be slid closed for privacy, but at that moment, they had it open for the two to talk. "Tori, you okay?" He asked. Despite his being wounded, his first concern was her safety. Seeing her in a hospital bed worried him. He had been assured she'd be fine, but needed to hear it from her to ease his troubled mind.

"I'm fine." Tori said. "How long until you're on your feet?"

"It wasn't a bad wound, except for the blood loss, and how close it came to my organs." The bodyguard explained. "I'll be here for a couple of days, but I'm out of action for a couple of weeks, minimum. Guess you'll be needing a fill in until I'm on my feet again."

"Candy can't do it, she has school." Ryder joked. "Seriously, dude, I was freaking." The two exchanged smiles, while the smallish teenager managed to look just a bit bummed at hearing she wasn't in the running for the job.

"Call Cat, have her set up an interview asap." Andre told Trina. "I'll handle the first round, cut the field down, but we need someone, now."

Tori immediately, with no warning, retrieved her phone from Kasey, telling the girl it was to check the news feed. "Cat, Tori here. Andre's fine, but he's out for the next few weeks." She knew this was Trina's area, but wanted to do something, anything, to lesson her guilt at having caused her friend to be hurt.

"Like you could handle the interviews." Trina scoffed at the fallen bodyguard, denying his offer but managing to give him a warm smile anyways.

"So you need someone now? That could be a problem, cause you don't wanna just rush into buying the first bodyguard you see. I mean, they're all cute and adorable, but you don't know it their house broken." The business manager joked. Then she seemed to have a moment of inspiration. "I know, why don't I put you in contact with the girl I use when I go to New york? I have her card around here someplace, and she's pretty good. Or seemed like it." The perky redhead suggested.

"We're not in New York." Tori corrected her. "Besides, I was hoping to have a new bodyguard by tonight."

"Then have her flown in ASAP." Cat giggled. "Think about it. She's a martian arts person, professional, and can even go into the ladies room without causing a stir. I'll call her."

"CAT!" The singer whisper screeched. "We're not hiring her cause you like her. You like everyone."

"I'll let Trina know I'm bringing her in for an interview." The business manager said. "I'll have her with you as soon as I can. Trust me, this will work. Until then, stay close to Ryder, and be ready." The phone went dead, letting Tori know her voice in this matter wasn't needed. She looked back at her core group, laughing and joking, letting her know things were gonna be okay.

Tori just sighed, focusing on what she could do. "So, Candy, want an autograph? Maybe a hospital room selfy?"

In new york, Jade was not looking forward to where this evening was heading. The man she was escorting, her client, had just walked into a dive bar, something unlike anything she'd been into in the short time she'd been working as arm candy. Her dress, a simple dark blue number that edged on black, clung to her curve far too tightly for her to feel comfortable in. she was definitely overdressed for this place. Tight and just on the edge of being too revealing, the dress drew hungry eyes from the people hanging around in the dark establishment as she and her client walked towards the bar. Mark, her employer for the evening, had directed her into the building while Ted, his wall of meat, was parking the car and paying for the lot space. 'This is so wrong.' She thought, pulling her dress up over her breasts. It was secure, wouldn't fall and expose her, but she still felt like she had to. The dress wasn't exactly discreet in hiding her assets. 'There's just too many problems with this place. And who hires a wll of meat and then go's into the bar without them? '

Mark seemed almost excited as he approached the bar, eying the various people in the sitting or standing around the place. Somehow he managed to look down on all of them, each different but similarly dressed group of this strange the strange mix of people, people who were out enjoying themselves that night.

To most people, they'd think Mark walked into a motorcycle club's hangout, and they'd be close. This bare was a popular place for bikers to come and relax, showing their colors. The bar was neutral ground, so old rivalries were left outside for the evening, providing a safe place for the establishments other clientele. It was also a collage age bar, somewhere where the fake tough and weekend warriors could go to mix with the more law abiding lowlifes and bikers. A place to feel the thrill of being near outlaws of a uniquely American origin. Add in the people who loved or idolized the lifestyle, without ever living it, plus a couple of working girls trying to make a buck, and you had the mix in the bar that or almost any night.

Ted, looking massive in his dark suit and chauffeurs hat, joined them as Jade was absorbing the other odd features of the establishment. 'They have a lot of booths, caged in with chicken wire, spread around the edges of the place. That makes a lot of half covered rooms, but lacking privacy, since the chicken wire windows would allow just about anyone to look in. That, and they don't have doors. I wonder…' She let her mind do a quick assessment of what everything meant, then spoke to Ted. "Place is bigger then I thought it'd be. I count at least fifty people here tonight, and I couldn't tell who's armed."

"Relax, babe, I'm here to show you the kind of man I am." Mark seemed to be bragging. He ordered a drink for himself, one for Ted, and one for Jade. It was the kind of order one would expect in a westerns, and made the bartender roll his eyes.

"I'm allergic." She lied. "Unless the next part of the evening involves me going to the hospital, I'll stick with apple juice."

"Really?" The wealthy boy asked. "Man, you're not much fun, are you. Built like that, and yet you try to cover up your best features. But don't worry, I'll speak to the manager, see if there's a private place you can show me what you're hiding." His leer told her exactly what he thought her roll for the night was.

"I've counted at least three pro's here tonight." Jade replied, feeling disgusted. "Want me to see if one of them is interested?"

Mark shut up and started trying to enjoy the atmosphere. He watched the various people playing pool, or drinking, or talking to each other. There were a fair number of women present, most dressed like they belonged in a bikers bar, and many making the rounds, taking to the guys. 'Okay, they seem to have enough people slumming here to not make a big deal about how much we stand out.' Jade decided. Her blue-green eyes still scanned the room, looking for potential threats, so when one showed up half an hour later, she was ready.

By then, both Mark and Ted were each on their third drink of the evening. They hadn't moved much, staying near the bar and enjoying both the drinking and people watching, something the locals seemed not to mind. Jade, however, had allowed something else to catch her attention. A small group of younger bikers had wandered in, apparently looking for trouble. She'd been watching them since the entered maybe four minutes ago, and so far they'd tried to instigate something with at least three of the collage groups. However, no one seemed willing to get into it with them them, and they seemed to not want to throw the first punch. As a result, the four boys in bikers colors walked from person to person, making rude comments and insulting the lack of courage they'd decided the various men were displaying, just because they wouldn't rise up to their challenge. Then One of the trouble seekers saw Mark, pointing him out to the others, and the group shifted directions, making a bee line for him.

As this was happening, Jade noticed something about the older men in the bar, mostly bikers but also a couple of regulars. Those men had noticed the four young punks walk in, and once they'd decided those boys were up to something, they'd sprung into a form of action. Some of them started mingling, talking to the wait staff and going out to socialize with some of the customers. If she hadn't noticed what else was going on, it would have been mistaken as some kind of socializing ply by the establishment, having the bikers say high to the various civilian visitors. Only, Now that the four troublemakers were closing in on mark, those who hadn't started mingling were moving, taking up residence in the up until then unused semi-private booths, safely behind sheets of chicken wire. It was a warning. Something was about to happen. "Mark, we don't need any trouble." She whispered to her employer.

"Babe, relax." He said, his eyes following Jade's until he saw the four bikers closing in on him. He shifted to meet the first of the newcomers gaze, matching stare for stare, while standing and presenting himself like a warrior ready for battle. "So, gentlemen, what can I do for you?" Jade forced herself not to face palm at his act of bravado.

"Your woman." The first of them said, returning Marks eye contact. "Fancy rich boys like you can't hope to satisfy a woman like her, not like I could." Then he spoke to Jade. "Wanna dance with a real man?"

"Not dancing tonight." Jade said with a grin, stepping partially in front of Mark. "My dance card's full anyways."

"Babe, relax." Mark said, and Jade was convinced he'd forgotten her name. "Let me handle this." He tried to gently push Jade back behind him, but when he failed to move her, he instead shuffled around her to stand in front of the groups spokesman. "Look, we don't want trouble." He started, and for half a heartbeat, the blue eyed girl thought that maybe this boy wasn't the total tool she'd come to believe he was. "You see, I never get physical. I just get upset. And when I get upset..." A gesture towards Ted.

Ted stood and, as if on command, crushed a beer can. "He gets physical." Mark finished.

Jade felt her heart sink into her chest. 'He quoted 'Back to School'. He actually chizzing quoted 'Back to School'. And what happens next is...'

Ted was blundering into a trap of his bosses making, one he couldn't fight his way out of. While the walking wall of meat threw the first punch, he wasn't really able to handle taking on more then a couple of guys at once. His fighting style was far more focused on single threats, not covering his own flanks when entering a brawl. Worse, these guys were experienced brawlers, who know how to both throw and take a punch. He defended himself as best he could, but Jade realized he'd be quickly overwhelmed.

As this was happening, Jade noted the older bikers were busy pulling some of the regulars they liked, people they'd been talking to earlier, into the safety of the cages. They also invited middle aged man who was thrilled to be included with a group of bikers, and a couple of collage girls who would probably be more victim then anything else. The bikers pulled them in quickly as the brawl threatened escalated, looking to their trained eyes like it was gonna encompass most of the establishment. After all, someone else had thrown the first punch, and would probably take a lot of the heat for fixing the place up.

The four guys had taken Ted down with a series of quick punches and kicks to the body, not letting the big guys size make a difference. They even made sure to get in a nut shot as early as they could slip it past his defenses, to help the big man remember that size isn't everything. That move put Ted down, hard. Then, as they were happily kicking the now downed man, one of them went after Mark.

'Time to earn my pay.' Jade thought with a sigh, stepping up to the rich boy and pulling him towards an exit. "Party's getting rough." She started as one of the troublemakers took a swing at Mark, which Jade easily redirected into a support post. While the ruffian was distracted by the pain that came with striking the solid wood post, she slipped her center of gravity under the guys hips and lifting with her legs and hips. The biker went flying up, only for her to keep hold of his arm, swinging his body around it like a fulcrum. A heartbeat later later, a table splinted as that man was taken out of the fight. "Time to go."

From there the room descended into chaos. Far too many of the kids slumming at the bar were ready to cut loose and fight. Then there were the relatively large number of the younger bikers who felt this was the time to take back their watering hole. Old disagreements found a new place to be remembered, and fist flew to settle scores that had lingered since the last time someone was dumb enough to throw the first punch. From there, like an open flame to kindling, the fever of the fight spread, and soon bikers and collage boys were exchanging blows, fortified by alcohol and too many action movies. Only the older, smarter bikers took cover, protecting people they thought were decent enough, as well as the bars true cash flow.

As for the raven haired girl, she had her hands full pulling Mark out of the fight. It was hard enough protecting herself, making sure she wasn't taken from an odd angle or struck from the flank. But she had to protect Mark as well, a boy who seemed to lack even the most basic survival instincts. More and more people seemed to step into her way, forcing her to cut a swath through them to get the poor rich boy to safety. The majority of her training was in jujutsu and kickboxing, but she'd studied enough other styles, including one called 'Jail House rock,' which emphasized fighting multiple attackers in tight quarters. This was her element, and she had to remind herself she was a professional, with nothing to prove but she could do the job this wazzbags father was paying her for, getting Mark out of the bar relatively unscathed.

As she pulled him into the parking lot, she scanned the lot for his car. "Why the chiz did you hire that moron as your bodyguard AND your driver?" She complained, dragging Mark to his car. Finding the door unlocked, she was grateful for not having to break into the car to keep her employer safe. "Get in and lock the doors." She instructed him, then turned to face the bar again.

"W-where are you going?" He asked. She suspected he'd wet himself. That image was the only thing that kept her fantasies of killing him at bay.

"In addition to forgetting to lock the doors, you buddy has the car keys." The one time goth said, squaring her shoulders and wading back into the bar.

It was another ten minutes before she emerged again, dragging Ted's unconscious body with her. The police, who'd managed to shown up in that time, allowed her to take the big guy to an ambulance and have him checked out. Once they knew he was going to be okay, and was on his way to the hospital, the police put the cuffs on Jade and hauled her away. The police had formed a perimeter around the club, grabbing people as they scampered out, but hadn't yet waded in to start calming things down. They knew their time would come. 'Besides, no one is paying them to risk their lives before things are ready to be controlled.' Jade reasoned.

She sat in the police station, watching hookers and drunks get processed for over an hour, before someone came to speak to her. Or rather,m she was brought to an office to speak to someone. "So, Jade, still making ends meet as a cage fighter?" Lieutenant Sanchez asked.

"I don't do that any more." The raven haired girl protested. "You know I've been banned from the legitimate places, and you swore you'd put me away if I went back to the underground fights." She met his eyes to make sure he heard her next statement. "I'm doing bodyguard work now."

"I know, I have Mark Winestien in holding." The officer replied. He looked tired. "Jade, the good news is, the regulars swore you didn't throw the first punch. Hell, they said you tried to get your guy outta there, and only used as much force as necessary. Also, Harry Winestien told me to tell you he's not charging you for the damaged dress."

"That was nice of him." The raven haired girl drolled. "So am I free to go?'

"Nope." Sanchez was smiling. "They say they might need you as a material witness. It seems that your employers other bodyguard may have thrown the first punch, at his insistence."

"God, will this day ever end?" She whined, gesturing to the havens.

"Winestiens got money, so there's gonna be a hella lawsuits coming down after this. While it's technically against the rules, I'd suggest getting out of town, let them settle it on their own." The lieutenant said, smiling.

"Like I could afford to take a quick vacation." Blue eyes glared through his tanned skin. She knew he was up to something. They'd known each other long enough for her to have a very good idea when he wasn't making a suggestion.

"Then you're in luck." The officer replied. "You got a call while you were being processed. Turns out some chick you've worked for in the past, Valentine I think, wants to fly you out tonight to meet up with some musician who's bodyguard got smushed. Sounds like a job opportunity, and I'd say you should take it. Hell, I'll even have one of my guys take you home and help you get packed. Plus, Mister Winestien says you can keep the dress, as long as you agree to this little vacation. Think of it as a bonus for getting his stupid kid out of danger in one piece. You see, he swore he'd get his son to settle the bar fight situation, pay peoples asses off, assuming we get you out of town for a spell. With luck, you being gone will help the many people looking for a payday to take the deal, and then I won't have to worry as much about people pressing charges. That will, in turn, take this whole mess off my desk so I can go back to catching real criminals. So, I'm thinking you have an interview tomorrow, so it'd be best if we get you ready and be on the red eye tonight."

Jade just stared at the man, wishing once again that she could have found some other way to make ends meet back when she started cage fighting, so she could be making money any other way then this. 'Except I needed that, back then, to help deal with my anger issues.' She thought. "Goody, a vacation." She told officer Sanchez, her voice showing no emotion beyond the exhaustion from having to work for spoiled brats.

:}

So we've had our first sight of Jade, and Tori has to worry about whomever tried to kidnap her. Was it a one time things? Or will we see this threat again, far down he line. Only time will tell. But first, we have the whole meshing of the new person into the overall whole, which as we all know, always goes smoothly.

So, review if you want, cause I'm interested in knowing what you think.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.

:}

One thing Tori abhorred about touring was the schedule. She was on the road for days at a time, performing almost daily, with only the occasional layover. The only bright side was days like today, where she was playing a collage town, where there were enough people interested in her music to require a second show, thus two days of performances. That, and deliberate layover days they'd planned in order to give her crew a chance to recover, helped her and her crew survive the tour. 'Course, I've heard that some modern stars only perform every other day, like we'll be doing after Europe. That lets them rest up while making time for such things as television appearances and maybe going shopping. I could really use some new slippers. Scratch that, I have the slippers, I just need some retail therapy. Get my mind of… Andre…'

She pushed the dark thoughts from her head and addressed her sister. "Okay, Treen, we have two days here, and our dancers got yesterday off, so lets focus on giving the fans what they want." They were on their way out of the airport, a smaller private one that could handle their plane, and were just waiting for the new security guys to clear the way for them.

"One moment, Miss Vega." Mister Smith, one of the three off duty police officers pulling security for her, said. They were a temporary fix until they could bring in a new body guard. Smith had stepped in front of her to check the way. "We're clear. Now, walk behind me, and let us deal with anything that shows up along the way."

They were very professional, walking both in front and behind her at all times. She'd dealt with three just like them at the last stop, on her way out of the hospital and to her hotel, and she hated it. Naturally, none of the officers they hired would allow her to stop and take a moment with her fans. They rushed her into and out of the hotel, the limo, wherever she was going. 'Of course, if I hadn't been so open with my fans, Andre wouldn't ave been stabbed.' She reprimanded herself. All that worrying, and the events of the last day, were weighing on her, imperceptibly draining her energy. She didn't even notice that the throng of fans that had been greeting her at every stop were missing, proof that whomever was behind the attempt had stopped leaking her itinerary.

"Trina, one moment." Ryder called to the girls, causing the manager to stop just outside the limo. "I stopped at the public airport to pick this up." He gestured to Jade, who was dressed in blue jeans and a Heathens t-shirt.

"Wait, I don't get a chance to dress up for the interview?" The bodyguard whisper yelled at the Ryder.

"We're on tour, we do things on the fly sometimes." He whispered back. "But hay, if you get hired, we'll get you a room and stow your cloths and everything."

"One moment please." Trina said. Cat had emailed her the girls resume, and while Ryder was calming the girl down, she'd pulled it up on her phone and given it a quick once over. "I see you have some experience working as a bodyguard. Good, cause you'll be working with my sister, and she needs someone to stick with her like glue."

"Yea, I can do that." Jade said, trying her best smile. She felt totally unprepared, a feeling she tried with all her might not to feel in her life. Not since she'd been dumped by her ex, years ago. "I'll need to know her itinerary, what to expect, but we both know life isn't always on schedule."

"Says here your a black belt in both jujutsu and Kickboxing." Trina noted. "And your rated and licensed with a nice selection of weapons and equipment. Even got concealed carry permits."

"Yea, I can fight, handle myself in just about any situation, but you don't just want a scrapper, do you? No, you want someone who knows how to defuse a situation, and I spent a while learning that along the way." The raven haired girl explained, answering the unasked question. She focused her responses on Trina, while simultaneously watching the three men who screamed off duty cops who were waiting by the car.

For just a second, Trina looked impressed, but her face went back to business almost instantly. "Okay, I'm not one to hire the first person who walks through the door, but you do come highly recommended, and my sister needs someone now. So here's the deal. We'll pay for this day, have you hang out with Tori, and if you can get along, and that includes not wanting to kill her after the first hour, then I'll see what she says. If she's okay with it, we'll need you for about three weeks. That cool?" Trina said very fast.

"Yea, sure." Jade replied. "So I'll be traveling with you? I suppose I should get changed, dress like a professional, huh?" But inside, she was thinking 'Wait, Miss Vega? Tori?!'

"Nah, you can keep it casual." The older girl replied. "That is, unless we head into a club. Then dress to blend. But for now, you're fine. Get in." She gestured to the limo. "Ryder, her gear."

"On it." He replied, taking her bags as the off duty cops popped the trunk. Jade didn't pay much attention to that, since it was obvious Trina expected her to get in the car next. With a last glance at her belongings, she stepped to the limo.

The blue eyed girl slid into the seat, and found herself face to face with one of the most recognizable faces in the world that day. 'Holey chizzin shit, it is Tori fucking Vega, pop princess and movie star. What the hell am I doing here? I thought she only had the absolute best, and here I am, sitting here like a dork, trying not to look too goth. Cat, what the fuck did you get me into?'

"So, who's this?" Tori asked, almost bored.

Jade couldn't believe her luck. She wasn't the kind to get starstruck, and her taste in music tended to be more rock and less pop. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't like some of Tori's stuff, or that she'd never bought one of Tori's songs on line. However, to be sitting across from the diva herself, interviewing to be her bodyguard, was a moment that took the goths breath away. Then, an old memory hinted at resurfacing, and in shoving it back down she found not only her breath, but the so called 'Bitch Face' she used to keep people at bay. "I'm Jade West, but you can call me Miss West. I'm taking over watching your ass. Now, I'd like to just go over the rules once so we all know whats going on. You're the boss until I see something that changes things, then you do as I say. Regardless, you never go through a door before I do unless I tell you to, then you go and don't look back..."

"Yea, yea, yea, thats what Andre used to tell me." The singer waved her hand, dismissing the raven haired girls speech. "I've been famous a while, so I know the drill. Now, lets get a few things straight. I know what to do when things get tense, but do you know what to do when they're not?"

"Tori, be nice." The manager said, putting her hand on the pop star's arm and smiling. "Jade, we're a fairly informal group here, and not just cause Tori's my sister. That means we tend to to use that first name your parents gave you, the one that none of you bodyguards seem to like. Second, I'm the boss, Tori here is the talent. Sure, we work for her, but I'm the one who handles the details so she can do what she does without having to worry about anything. That brings me to your job. You're not just keeping her safe, you're insuring her safety while keeping her as happy as we can."

Blue eyes were now locked, once again, on the elder sister. But as much as the one time goth wanted to object, have them stop the car and throw herself out, she understood the realities of the world. She just nodded.

"Tori, you wanna tell her?" The older girl asked.

"Sure." The singer said, smiling. "I love me fans. I make as much time for them as I can. That means I like to stop and sign a few autographs, maybe pose for a selfie or two, when I see them. I know, it's dangerous, but I love them, and want them to know I'm accessible. Did you know, in Japan, they will line up, politely take turns, and never give you any trouble? Anyways, you're job is to keep me safe while I'm giving my fans as much me time as I can. Clear?"

"Can't be done." The taller girl said, glancing over at Ryder. "If you give that kind of access, then they could do all kinds of shit. These fans of yours, I'm sure most of them are just normal people who are looking for the chance to touch a star, but when push comes to shove, even normal people can become a threat. Look, if I'm gonna keep you safe, I need for you to take fewer risks."

"Yet you followed a client into a dive bar and watched him possibly pick a fight?" Trina asked. "Our dad's a cop, we get preferential treatment when we need to do background checks. Thing is, thats one of the reasons you're here. You're willing to follow the lamb into the lions den to keep it safe."

"I have a question." Tori piped in. "What size are those?" She pointed at the dark haired girls chest.

"What does my bra size have to do with my ability to be a bodyguard?" The goth growled.

"As you can see, my sisters more developed then I am, and I'm not so sure about having another busty girl hanging around me." Tori explained, a blush reddening her face.

"Wait, you're self-conscious about your size?" The bodyguard wondered aloud. "You have girls killing themselves over your cheekbones, your nearly perfect hourglass figure, and you're worried over me being a cup size or two bigger then you are?"

"Don't be ridiculous." Tori scoffed. "There's your complexion, your facial bone structure, your ass, lets face it, your seriously doable, and while my sisters a catch, she's usually in the background. I don't like being surrounded by competition."

"Since when?" Trina cut in. "Tori, you have multiple dancers who are as attractive as Jade is, as well as long standing friendships with many highly attractive performers. I don't know where that objection is coming from, but it's not you."

"First, none of my dancers are THAT good looking.' Tori breathed. "There are the hot ones, I'll agree, but look at her. She's a fucking sex bomb, walking in a tight shirt. I don't need the distractions." She held her sisters eye for several moments. "Okay, the real reason is I don't want to replace Andre, okay. He's my friend." Her voice fell, showing a lot of hurt.

"We're not replacing Andre." Trina assured her. "Not permanently. We just need someone for the three weeks it's gonna take him to recover and be ready to return to work. But Tori, he was stabbed, and while his ribs kept the blade from piercing anything vital, he's not gonna be back for at least a month, and won't be up to full strength for a while longer."

"I'm not trying to replace anyone." Jade assured the pop star. "I'm a professional, and this is a professional relationship. My life, my body, is on the line to keep you safe. Nothing to worry about. If things get hairy, I'll take the fall. Just, don't get too attached. Okay? Think we can work together?" Jade found the singers admitting to having that friendship with the other guard refreshing, returning the spoiled pop star to the realm of normal people.

"No." The singer's rebuff was harsh. "Not saying I don't wanna give you a try, just, I can't be around someone and not develop some kind of feelings towards them. Yes, you'll keep me safe, and I know, I understand you're putting your body on the line for me. But thats why you wear body armor, and carry weapons, and have trained like for years in various secret middle eastern fighting techniques that can kill a man with one finger. And oh yea, no killing people with your fingers just to prove you can do it. I like my fans."

"Either the last guy was something else, or you have a very distorted view of what a bodyguard is." Jade said, repressing a laugh.

"Looks like Tori's in, and Cat has nothing but good things to say about you, so want the job?" Trina asked. "Look, at your level of experience, you probably don't make that much, and we're offering a descent pay, plus benefits while on tour with us. Lets say, maybe $350 per day for the assignment? Plus we'll provide a clothing allowance so you can dress professionally when needed. I'll let you know ahead of time if there's going to be a different dress code along the way. Also, and this is important, Andre will probably need about four months before he can resume doing all his duties. Thats the remainder of the U.S. tour, and possibly part of our over seas tour. Got a passport?"

"Yea, at home." The blue eyed bodyguard admitted. 'Wait, didn't they say three weeks just a few minutes ago? When did this assignment get so long? And why not just tell me the whole truth? Are they gonna see how I work out, maybe do some interviews for the international tour?' She wondered, but didn't let that show as she said "I'll send someone to pick it up for me. Anything else?"

"Yea, I'll need to know you can be discreet." Trina added.

"Always." The taller girl assured her.

"Good, cause I need to visit the little girls room as soon as we get to the sound check, and Trina here says I can't go alone." Tori chimed in.

"Welcome to the team." Ryder added. "I'll be calling the shots when we're out in public, but if you see something, don't be afraid to tell me, or act if it's already happening. We used to keep things kinda lose between me and Dre. He had a better understanding of growing threats, and I was better at letting the troupes know whats what."

He gestured to the SUV trailing after them. "In that car is the rest of Tori's traveling circus. We have Kasey, Tori's assistant, as well as Tweedledee and Tweedledum, also known as Ron and Bill. They're the rest of the close in security forces, or as you might generously call them, bodyguards. I'm afraid they're more like entourage then guards, good at looking tough, and fetching things, but not much else. But, lets not forget the other occupant of this car, Malcolm, Trina's assistant and the guy who used to have to go with Tori when she needed to wazz. He's gay, I think, so thats okay." He snapped his fingers at the other man, who'd been busy with something on his pad. "Yo, Mal, you are gay, right?"

"What, you need a blow job?" The assistant asked. "Not without a nice dinner first. Seriously, my sexuality is my business, and I don't stick my pen in the company ink."

Jade rolled her eyes. "Hi Mal, glad to be on the team." She extended her hand, which he ignored.

"Remember, no matter how much she whines, Tori's a big girl, and can roll up her own toilet paper." Malcolm said, then smiled towards the pop star. "We were in this high class restaurant, and the bathroom attendant offered to roll her paper. I swear, she was joking, but Tori's whined about it ever since."

"My first embarrassing secret." Jade joked. "Okay, looks like chiz I can handle."

"Don't say that." Tori snapped.

"What?" The pale girl asked. "I was only joking. I'd never reveal anything..."

"It's not that." Trina assured the bodyguard. "Tori hates the word Chiz. It's from an internet show, something really popular among a certain crows in New York. Unfortunately, her boyfriend uses it, a lot. He got the habit from his friends back when he was living in New York, trying out for youth rolls on Broadway." Her eyes lit up with understanding. "And your from jersey, so you'd use similar words, wouldn't you?"

"I was living in Jersey, but working in New York, when you contacted me." Jade replied. "So, this is a good start." She felt like she was reassuring herself, but smiled at the pop princess and enjoyed her first ride in a stretched limo.

They got to the venue and Jade was walked through the details of her job. Things changed a lot when they got to the concerts. The guards shifted from personal security to management, taking command of the security personal hired by the promoter and making sure Tori was safe from any the possible threats that could potentially happen. 'Lucky us, we have to worry about the unlikely as well as the obvious.' Jade grumbled as she was sent up into the rafters to check for possible threats.

"They sent you up to check the rafters, huh?" An older man said. He was checking the lighting, getting ready to shine his spotlight where it would be needed. "Can I tell you something? You see, this isn't exactly a gaping hole in security. There are only so many ways up here, and it's not like the camera's that watch those accesses are left unmanned. Security watches everyone who's sent up here, even keep the access points restricted to authorized personnel. Then, they patrols up here. And if thats not enough, then they have us, the backstage people they hire to run the lights and shit, they have us watching, keeping an eye out for anyone who's not supposed to be here. One of the many reasons they gave me a radio." He showed her his walkie talkie, as well as the ear piece that went with it. "They're probably just hazing you."

"Oh." Jade said, then checked his stuff for weapons anyways. "Sorry, but as much as I appreciate the advice, I had to make sure you weren't a threat. That way, I can trust you later. And isn't this shit automated?"

"You'd be surprised how much isn't." The older man said, his face breaking into a knowing smirk. "Television makes it seem like they've got everything computerized, and software can do everything. But thats a fucking lie, and we all know it. Her moves, as practiced as they are, could be disrupted by the shape of the stage, or a dancer making a mistake, or all kinds of stuff. You need us up here, on these platforms, shining lights down on her, so the fans can see every moment of the show. Human judgment, connected to the producer and director. It's the only way."

"So, how many of you guys are with the show?" Jade wondered aloud. She was watching the sound check, as Tori sang a few notes and made sure the equipment was working. Jade knew this time doubled as a chance for Tori and her people to go over the stage area once to see what needed to be changed, as well as find out if their setup had any dead spots for the lighting or sound. For Jade, it was her chance to keep watch on her starlet, given that there was no way for her to get back down in time if something did happen. "And are you part of Tori's crew?"

"Lots of people doing backstage shit." He said. "I work for the venue, or get hired on a case by case basis. I'm a flowspot operator, but I also do rigging, and whatever else they need me to do. Technically I'm a rowdy, a member of the stage crew. They often hire us on a case by case basis, working only the days we're needed, and then off to the next job. Saves you the cost of having us travel with you, wich is nice, cause we don't always travel so good."

"Wouldn't they want someone like you to travel with them?" The bodyguard asked.

"You'd think, but depending on the job, no. They just need me to know how to follow a spot, keep a spotlight on the person I'm told to, and go with it. Ever had a guitar solo go long?" He asked. "I've had a rock singer nailing a groupie backstage while I'm shining a light on the guitarist. But he took too long, so we had an unscheduled drum solo. That kind of shit you just can't plan."

"Thanks." Jade murmured as she made her way back down to the floor, a strange smile growing on her face. She liked that old man, even if she'd probably never see him again in her life. 'That story was priceless, yet very discreet. No names, just what happened.'

Once she was down from the catwalk, she found Tori laughing with Ryder about something. "Oh, Jade, how'd I look?" The singer asked.

"Small." Jade replied. "You had me up on the catwalk."

"And now you know whats up there." Ryder said, smirking. "Look, Jade, right now, Tori's about as safe as she's gonna get. The promoter, he's put a lot of effort in making sure the crew and security he hired is the best, or at least most trustworthy, available. It's his ass, and his insurance, on the line if something goes wrong tonight. So guess what, they're only letting people with the right badges in."

"And yet, they still give out badges to just about anyone." A new voice rang out. Ryder tensed as Trina ran across the stage towards them, trying to protect her sister from the newcomer. Jade instinctively stepped in the way, just in case.

Jade knew that voice. She'd seen his show, sponsored by DirtNow magazine. He was the proprietor and chief editor of Rabarazzi, one of the more highly rated web-shows, as well as a successful crossover to the entertainment channel. Robbie Shapiro walked the backstage area like he owned it. "So, Tori, have a moment to talk about what happened?" The gossip Guru asked. "Or do you even know?"

"I can't believe your that much of a vulture, to rip into her for..." Trina shut down, not wanting to give anything away. "You are here about the stabbing, right?"

"Yep." He said. "But I wouldn't fly out her unless I had something worth getting a direct interview. I could have used local talent for anything less, and trust me, it's far too easy to get a press pass for this place." He waved his pass at them. "So, Tori, did you know that the guys who tried to grab you were working for a middle eastern prince? My source says that one of them, and I won't say which one until the government says I can, wanted you as his bride. But they're not in the asking business, not with women, so he hired someone to take you."

"You know thats garbage." Tori shot back. "None of those cultures would support just taking a girl, then forcing her to be your wife."

"Some would." Ryder mumbled.

"But not a famous person, who could draw attention." Trina corrected him. "No, thats just a rumor, and Robbie's here to try and get Tori to react."

"I don't know what your saying, but I got what I wanted." The gossip monger said. "More then twenty four hours after nearly being abducted, and her boyfriend, her fiance, isn't here to comfort her. Did he even send flowers?"

Trina slapped herself for forgetting that detail. 'How could I?' She wondered. 'Guess I'm still in shock myself. But maybe there's still time. I need to contact a florist...'

"I'm not gay!" Tori shouted. Jade had absolutely no idea where that had come from, despite hearing the rumors, usually pushed by mister Shapiro himself.

"Says the starlet who's hiding behind a very attractive girl." Rob replied, noting how Jade was standing in front of the her charge. "And who are you, anyways? I'll bet you have an interesting story. Been traveling with miss Vega long?" He was still about ten feet from them, not getting any closer. But his eyes held her like he knew something, and she didn't like it.

Jade didn't say a thing, letting her employer do the talking. Still, her hand drifted towards her concealed weapons, only to remember she hadn't been allowed to wear them on the plane, and as yet had not taken the time to recover them. "As you know, one of Tori's bodyguards was hurt protecting her." Trina said, her voice very business like. "We've added a new bodyguard, and unlike some girls in the business we've chosen to have a female guard to stay close, in case Tori has to go someplace where they might not appreciate a guy barging in."

"Oh, then, welcome to the party, Miss…?" He tried to get Jade to speak. But the pale girl wasn't talking. "Not talking, huh? Doesn't matter. My instincts tell me your the story, and I love finding out the story. Every fucking detail." His smile seemed to grow, making everyone feel just a bit more uneasy.

"Robbie, this stopped being funny years ago." Tori splurted. "Why don't you send your little spy's to harass someone else, before I tell the world you used to use a puppet to interact with people, cause you were so sure they'd tear you apart if you didn't?"

"You could, but I never leave myself that vulnerable." Rob replied. "I saw a therapist, worked that issue out, and I'm not ashamed of my past. It's in my autobiography. Come on, Tori, you have to know, this isn't personal."

'Wait, do they know each other?' The raven haired girl wondered.

"Really?" The mega star shot back. "So this has nothing to do with me not spending time with you back in High School? I never abandoned you, I just got my big break, the one I, we used to dream about, and I moved on. Be a grownup and move on too."

"Tori, Tori, Tori, you have it all wrong." The gossip bloger said, an evil smile replacing the one he'd had just a moment ago. "This is my business now. I have no secrets that can be used against me, and that makes me very good at my job. But you are right about one thing, this is very much personal. I have a debt to even, and until I do, the friendship we had, it means nothing. Bodyguard, just so you know, I'm not a physical threat. I hate the idea that someone tried to hurt her. But I'm not a friend either. Just, do your job, keep her safe. I want her to live, succeed, just in an honest way. Tori, I'll be at the show tonight. You know, cause I always loved to hear you sing." It amazed the bodyguard when he walked away without the evil laugh.

"You went to school with that jerk?" Jade asked.

"Yea, him, Trina, Ryder and me all went to school together in Hollywood. Thats Hollywood California." Tori said. "We moved there from the other Hollywood so Trina could peruse her dreams of becoming a star."

"She's hired help." Ryder reminded the starlet. "You don't have to give her the back story."

"I was kinda a nerd, and so I hung out with Robbie." Tori continued, stopping to stick her tongue out at Ryder.

"Was Andre one of your friends?" Jade asked.

"We, Dre and me, we met on American Voice." She admitted. "He just barely failed the cut. They said they already had enough singers like him. Then his grandmother died, and so did his interest in being a musician. Did you know he used to write music?" The singer was starting to shake, tears slipping down her face as she loosened her grip on the pain and guilt she'd been feeling since the stabbing.

"Now I'm sorry I asked." The blue eyed girl remarked. "Look, you need to get psyched up for your show tonight."

"Relax." The older sister said, putting a hand on the pop star. "She always gets jazzed for her big performances. Just let her mourn for a moment. She's been holding this shit in, and it's time."

The small group stood there and watched as arguably the biggest pop star on the planet had a meltdown over her friend being hurt. "It was my fault, you know." She continued. "I had to spend some time with the fans. Take pictures, glorified selfies, and soak up their love for me. Andre, Ryder, everyone told me how dangerous that was, but how could my fans ever hurt me, you know?" Tori had slipped down to sitting on the floor, crying. The others in her show went about their business, ignoring the crying girl who was surrounded by her bodyguards and family.

Kasey was standing nervously near by. "Um, should we be doing something?" She asked.

"Trina gave us our marching orders." Malcolm replied. "But you might scrounge up a bottle of water for her. After that crying, she's gonna need it."

Jade, meanwhile, had pulled out her phone. "Miss Vega?" She tried to get Tori's attention.

"She likes to be called Tori." Trina reminded the new girl.

"Tori, I don't want to belittle your pain, cause I totally get it." The raven haired guard started. "But I have something on my phone, in the burn it if I die so no one ever finds out I have it files. Normally I'd rather die than admit I have this, but I suspect you'll find it helpful."

Tori kinda recognized herself from the picture. It was from her tour, three years ago, when she'd taken a break to both host and perform on Saturday Night live. In this picture, she was standing next to a girl that had to be Jade, among a dozen others, smiling with her hands out, hugging as many of her fans as she could. "I stood out in the cold for hours, just to get tickets to that show. It was a chance to see you do everything. I had to see it, to believe how good you were. And then, the day of the show, before going in, you stopped to pose with a bunch of us. Ten at a time, you must have posed with hundreds of us, but you did, and I kept this stupid picture as a reminder that you were as good as your reputation said. I know, it's stupid, I never once claimed to have met you, cause we never did meet. I was just a face in the crowd…." Her voice faded.

"I must have been exhausted." Tori said, a quick sniffle keeping her together. "I mean, how the fuck did I not remember that face? Okay, you were bundled up, so I wasn't intimidated by your curves, but that face, those eyes, how the hell didn't I remember those eyes?"

It was Jade's turn to smile. "Please, I was just a fan, waiting to have her moment with the star, and you gave it to me." That was when the bodyguard in her returned. "And yes, it was stupid. Back then, I carried scissors in by boot to protect myself. I could have done all kinds of things to you, and trust me, at that point in my life, ending it in a blaze of glory wasn't far from my thoughts. But you're so talented, and I wasn't going to take you away from the world."

"Thanks." The singer was looking at her now, meeting those blue-green eyes.

"But we can find a medium." The bodyguard continued. "Some place where you can have your fan time, and we can keep you safe. So, you can feel bad about Andre, and worry that he might not be the same, cause I know a guy, got stabbed, and he was never really the same. But at the same time, your friend was paid to keep you safe. It's what we do. And I'm sure he'd agree, it's far better to have one of us get stabbed, hurt, or even killed, then for you to be the one taken, hurt, killed, or worse. So, we good?"

"Yea." Tori said. "I still need a good cry, but I think I can make it to my dressing room." She allowed Ryder to help her to her feet. "And Jade… Send me a copy of that picture."

"Should have let her cry herself out." The blue eyed girl mumbled to herself as she trailed the others to the dressing room.

:}

Okay, I know, this is a stadium tour, and stadiums doesn't usually have rafters. However, I'm assuming a dome. (And if they don't have rafters, then FINE! It just fit the moment.)

How's that for an interview. But, I think Jade is proving her worth. Is it wrong that I feel sorry for Tori, her trying to maintain the image she's worked so hard for, while feeling a bit of guilt about what happened to her friend. Oh well.

So, thoughts, comments, questions, feel free to leave a comment below.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

:}

Jade found she didn't have a lot to do while Tori was at the venue, other then be near by in case she needed something. Ryder took control of the venues security, setting up the perimeter and having people checking ID's, both to get in and for any0one they came across backstage. Everyone was expected to have their passes. Also, Jade found that whatever other duties she was told were hers didn't seem to apply backstage. Kasey was responsible for whatever Tori might need, while Malcolm ran around trying to stay in step with Trina's constant demands. That left Jade hanging with Ron and Bill, the former of whom who liked to fraternize with the roadies.

"Yo, blue eyes." Ron called to her. "These guys are the boss. They can set up and tear down this whole set in just a few hours, then it's all off to the next place. Also, they can really party."

"I'm less concerned with their ability to party, and more with you not being ready if something goes wrong." Jade spoke down to him. "Even one beer will hamper your ability to react when the chiz hits the fan, and you've had what? Three?"

"First, I'm not as irresponsible as you think, this is my second beer." Ron defended himself. "And I'm drinking now so I'll have a chance to recover as she performs. Trust me, these guys know when to stop drinking so they're cool to tear everything down."

"Except she's got two shows here." One of the roadies added. "Us, those not doing anything during the show, we're done. Thats why we broke out the real shit, and not that watered down crap we drink during her one night performances. We may love to have a good time, but we know our jobs, and if there was anything to do after, we'd limit ourselves and watch for the shutoff songs."

Jade glared at Ron, his hulking form sitting with the roadies, suddenly aware he'd missed that one important detail. "Where's Bill?" She growled.

"Let me show you." One of the crew said, leading her away from where the roadies were hanging out and towards the backstage managers spot. She saw Trina and a few others speaking to the locals about the sound and lighting, as the music poured from the stage.

Bill was sitting near by, watching the show, a smile on his lips. Jade decided to let Trina know what she'd seen, finishing with "At least one of them isn't getting drunk off his ass."

"No, Bill is just as close as he's allowed to be to the dancers." Trina said, not looking. "I've told him he's not allowed to tell any of them he can get them a better roll, and they know that too. So he doesn't get to do anything more then watch."

"So Ron's a drunken party boy, while Bill's a perve?" The bodyguard asked. "Why does this sound really bad?'

"First, as you should have figured out by now, they'd security, not really bodyguards. Ryder just needs them here enough to do what he says when he needs it done. More intimidation then actual threat. Both guys are big, thus intimidating, and so we get what we pay for. Second, while I can't really dispute your assessment of Ron, Bill just gets infatuated. He was hung up on Tori for a while, since she treats everyone so nice, until he figured out that she was more like a sister then a lover." The older girl glanced back at the sitting security agent. "So who's on your radar now?"

"Ronda, and I think she likes me." The sitting man replied. "She hasn't complained once about me watching her, and even smiled at me that one time." As Jade rolled her eyes, the guard continued. "And I didn't figure things out about Tori on my own, Andre sat me down and helped me figure that shit out. Dre said he knows when she's interested, and I'm not Beck."

"Well, at least your watching the stage." Jade huffed. "Look, Bill, I hope we can count on you, cause if something goes down,. I want you to do like the secret service and get Tori the hell to safety. Ryder or I will tell you where to go, but you grab Tori and move, and I mean carry her, got it?"

"Yea, I got it." Bill said, serious for the first time since she'd found him here. "Look, I know we're not the best, but Ron and me, we've been around for a while, ever since Tori started out. Trina hired us, along with Ryder, to act as her security cause the places she was performing at back then didn't do crap about keeping guys off the stage. Ryder and Dre, they learned their crap, took over for the other guy we had when he got a chance to work somewhere where they speak terrorist. But me and Ron, we stuck around, cause where else are guys like us gonna make a living while training to be pro wrestlers?"

"You know how to wrestle?" Jade wondered aloud. "Can you take a fall?"

"We've saved out money, but haven't managed to get into a school yet. Guess we're not that committed, huh?" Bill admitted. Somehow he managed to look sheepish for a moment before returning his stare to the stage, and one girl dancing in the background.

"I'll teach you how to fall, and maybe some grappling moves." She said with a sigh. "But it doesn't mean I wanna be with you. I just want to be able to trust you if things go sideways."

"Sounds like a deal." The sitting man said, never tasking his eyes from the stage. "You know, you really should watch the show sometime. It's so worth it."

Not sure what else to do, Jade found herself a couple of chairs, made sure they were out of the way of the dancers as they left the stage, and sat with Bill to watch the show. It was the first time in years she'd allowed herself the luxury of enjoying something like this, and she took that chance to get lost in the music before the anticipated post show chaos erupted.

Afterwords, things got weird fast. Tori walked off stage after what felt like far too many encores, even to jade, and grabbed the blue eyed girls writs as she walked to her dressing room. "Talk to me." She said as she reached the room. The door closed barely a moment later, which jade found herself thankful for. "The show was hot, but I think I could have done better. Do you think it's a good idea to bury the Ginger Fox stuff? I know, I play her in the movie, and I loved her music. Pity she went totally bat shit crazy and disappeared from public life." The singer spoke as she stripped, taking off all her cloths and walking towards the shower. "Be a dear and grab my robes, please." She continued.

Jade was stuck watching the pop star, who once charmed her with her very real sense of humor and incredible talent, walked naked in front of her, speaking about what could have been done differently in the show. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say she's on something.'

Activating her radio, she asked. "Did Tori take something while getting ready for the show?"

"Whats up?" Trina asked.

"I don't know, but she's acting kinda stoned." Jade replied, fantastically searching for Tori's robe.

"No drugs, she just gets like that sometimes. I've seen it before." Trina answered. "She's actually overtired, like a small child. Once she gets to a certain point, works herself out, she'll start to relax, and the next thing you know, she'll practically collapse. Once she's cleaned up, get her to the hotel, and let her sleep it off. We'll catch up."

"You know your sister is showering right in front of me." Jade commented. She was in the small bathroom, staring at a very open door to the shower. Rebounding droplets of water moistened the floor, while Jade stood just far enough back not to get soaked.

"I'll worry when she invites you to join her." Trina joked. "Look, she's acting high, but it's exhaustion, from the performance. She's not even aware of how tired she is, so until she comes down, you need to protect her from herself. Believe it or not, she's dragged Andre in there."

"That had to hurt." The blue eyed girl said. Tori was singing in the shower, asking Jade various things, and cleaning herself off, all at the same time.

"Yea, Tori was embarrassed." The older girl agreed.

"No, this Andre fella, to be treated like he's just.. Was he in theater?" Jade seemed to reverse herself.

"Yea, some." Trina answered. Tori was dancing, forcing Jade to watch her extra carefully. "But still, Tori felt like she'd crossed a line. It's better with you there."

"This happen every night?" Jade wondered.

"No, just occasionally, when she's extra hyped or worried about something, and loses herself in the music. I should have know, with the extra encore." Trina sounded amused.

"Okay, I'm all clean." Tori chirped. "Your turn."

"At the hotel, okay?" Jade tried, only to find Tori wanted to dance, and needed a partner. "Lets get you dried and dressed, then head to the hotel. You can dance there."

It took the blue eyed bodyguard almost fifteen minutes to dance Tori into her traveling cloths. By then, costuming had retrieved Tori's outfits. But Jade used that as her cue to lead the singer towards the door.

"This is new." Trina commented as Jade two stepped the singer towards the back door. "Ryder, have Bill and Ron go do backup and get her into the limo. Lets try to avoid the fans. She's in no condition to sign autographs."

Once in the car, which was secured in a private parking area near the loading docks, inside the building, they were able to drive off towards the hotel. Tori was dancing in her seat, grabbing both Jade and Bill's arms, trying to get them to join in. The sitting seemed maddening to the pop star who just felt she had to keep moving. The drive, short as it was, turned out to be enough for the famous girl to settle down and relax. Then she was down, sleeping, and wasn't gonna be up again until she'd slept her mental fatigue away.

Bill was, to Jade's mind, finally useful as he helped her walk the functionally unconscious singer into the hotel. They only needed to maintain the illusion as far as the elevators before he could pick her up, bridal style. 'Okay, we've avoided the crowds, and so far, no real threats…' Jade was thinking as she scanned the lobby for any potential threats.

"You're lucky I'm the one who saw this." Robbie Shapiro said from his place near the elevators. "Most people would just assume she's drunk. Get her to her room and put her to bed."

"What, no pictures?" Bill growled. "And I was so looking forward to taking your camera away."

"No, I've seen her like this before." The gossip replied. "You forget I've known her longer then you have." He sighed. "She put everything into that show. It did feel a bit longer, higher energy then usual. Did she break down about Mister Harris? Or did she finally understand just who her boyfriend is. Either way, take care of her. I have what I wanted, and meant it when I said we want her to succeed. The worlds biggest pop star, and she's still the fucking girl next door."

Jade didn't bother to say anything, pushing Bill into the elevator as soon as the door opened, then riding up with him while plotting her next move. "Okay, once she's in her room, you can go. I'll stay with her, get her ready for bed, and make sure she's okay until her sister gets here."

"Got it." The large man said. Jade fumbled with the key card for Tori's room, making sure she had the right card, then leading the others into the suite. Jade had the big man put Tori on her bed, then she sent him to his room before setting herself the task of changing the starlet. It was quicker then she'd expected, since Tori was no longer dancing, her moves no longer functionally resisting Jade's attempts to change the girl..

Finally, once the pop princess was dressed for bed, Jade called back to the show to let the boss know the star was safe. "Trina, it's Jade. The limo's on it's way back for you, Tori's in bed, and I'm with her if she needs anything. Do I stay, or head back to my room."

"Go to bed." The older girl replied. "And thanks. For dancing with her. Tori was carrying around a lot of pain and guilt over Andre, and I think she tried to work it all out in the show. I'm hoping she'll be fine tomorrow. Or at least better. Just, go to bed."

"That Shapiro guy was at the hotel, said something about her boyfriend." Jade decided to be honest. 'No sense in hiding something that could be damaging later on.'

"I'll talk to him." Trina assured the bodyguard. "You just get some sleep. And Jade, if Tori asks for you to cuddle, ignore that. She sometimes wants that when she's half asleep. Just someone to comfort her."

Before leaving, Jade did a walk through of the room, checking for any possible threats or openings that a crazed fan might use to get closer tot her pop princess. Next she checked the locks, confirming that the door would be locked and secured once she walked out the door. She'd have been happier if the security latch could have been closed, but didn't know of any way to close that from the outside. Happy that the windows were locked, she put the key card on the table and walked out the door, which she confirmed was closes and locked. Then she walked over the couple of rooms to where hers was conveniently close, in case Tori needed her.

Once in her room, Jade wasted no time in getting changed for bed. Her body armor, hidden weapons, and scissors were stashed where she could get them in the morning. That evening she hadn't really had the chance to put any of it on, since she'd flown in a public plane, and that kind of equipment makes people nervous. Next she took a quick shower and settled in for some more reading before going to sleep. Jade had learned a few tricks over the years, including how to power sleep, getting the maximum effect from her slumber over a set period of time. That gave her the time to look up everything she could find on Tori's boyfriend, Beck Oliver. 'Still the same, aren't you.' The dark haired girl thought, reading about his exploits. 'I'll bet you have some kind of buddy deal, maybe an informant, so that Lucy Spiller chick from the tabloids isn't ripping you a new one. Or are the rumors wrong, and you really are the perfect boyfriend for America's singing girl next door?'

Jade made a few notes, then went to bed. She had a long day ahead of her, and planned on making the best of it with her new coworkers. 'Not only will they owe me one, it'll keep the client safer too. A win win. God, I didn't think those existed.'

In the morning, Jade checked in with the boss as she was getting ready for her day. "Tori wanted to do some fan related stuff, but Ryder and I felt it would be better if she didn't have too much shit happening. You know, after the last few days." Trina explained. "Normally we'd do a radio spot, but this tour, we've been less active in the regards. We have the movie, and their people are gathering the crowds just fine. However, if you could be in the gym this morning, after Tori wakes, that would be wonderful."

Jade got up and did her morning routine, then went down to get her workout in. Once she'd finished, she called Ron and Bill, asking them to head down to the gym for some training. "Guys, I'm gonna teach you the proper way to fall. This hotel has a first rate health center, and I was able to scrounge up some mats. So, lets practice falling. It's step one in learning how to fight."

They spent the next half hour learning how to safely fall. It wasn't easy, given that to learn, they had to be willing to fall, over and over again. The big guys had to overcome their belief that falling would not only hurt, but cause injury. Jade showed them how to fall safely, demonstrating the technique over and over, helping them learn how to take the basic fall, and going from there. After half an hour, they'd progressed to the point where she could start tossing the big men around so they could practice landing. They were learning the first step in being able to fight. Still, it was important for them to practice just falling, getting used to the idea of shifting their weight so they'd land on their back if possible, lifting their heads so as to avoid concussion while using various methods for breaking their fall.

Tori arrived part way through the training, and watched just long enough to be amused before taking part of the room for her own use. Her giggling broke their concentration. "Guys, I'm learning a new dance routine. Gonna try it out in the show, as an alternate for one of the encores. You can stay and watch if you like. Or you can even use that side of the room to practice falling down." Tori was chuckling as she pointed to what they assumed would be the unused part of the room.

"Guys, keep practicing." Jade informed the guys. "Falling is step one of wresting, and I'll teach you a bunch of grappling moves once you know how to fall okay."

"Speaking of..." Tori said, suddenly getting a bit shy. "I understand I was kinda, um… I mean, I was..."

"You dragged me into the shower to talk to you, and didn't bother to close the door." Jade said. "Not a big thing. I get it, you were tired, not thinking clear."

"I left the door open?" She asked, suddenly looking aghast. "I-I closed it, right? Or you did..."

"You wouldn't let me, and when I tried, you were trying to get me to dance with you." The blue eyed girl explained. "But hay, we're both girls, we have the same parts. Nothing to be ashamed about. Hell, think of me as Andre, just a bodyguard who was there when you were showering, to keep you safe."

"I closed the curtain with Andre, and I still felt dirty." The pop princess stated. "Okay, maybe he got flashes of me naked, not a whole fudging show. Never the whole thing at once."

"Fucking." Jade said, smirking. "We're adults, we can swear."

"I'm gonna institute a swear jar." Tori warned. "Maybe that'll get people to stop using such bad language."

"Fudging, got it." The bodyguard replied. "If someone attempts something, I'll grab his fudging rear and beat him until he's pooped himself, okay?"

"Jade, get the fuck off my dance floor." Americas sweetheart, the perpetual girl next door, said to her bodyguard. Her finger pointed towards the door.

The blue eyed girl was laughing the entire way to the heavy bag, where she let out her frustrations on the sand filled target. Half an hour went by with her striking it over an over, wearing herself out but practicing her fighting skills.

"Tori threw you out too?" Ryder asked.

"Yea." Jade replied. "Wait, aren't you Trina's bodyguard?"

"I am." He said, smiling at her. "But Tori doesn't like it when I'm in the room with her, reminds her of how I once used her to get a good grade, way back in our musical performance class at Hollywood Arts. We did a song and dance, and I relied on her to pad my grade."

"And yet she hired you to be part of her security team." The raven haired girl noted.

"We patched a lot of things up over the years." The tall boy replied. "Besides, I take this seriously, more so then anything I'd done in my past. And not just the keeping people safe. I mean, back when we started, Andre was just some kid. Now, he's my bro. I'm worried, cause I know he won't stay in the hospital as long as he should. But once he's back, I'm gonna talk to him about bringing on a touch more security. That was far too close."

"According to Shapiro, it was a planned abduction." The girl said. "What if he was right? I mean, we have three people working together to grab her. One had been following the tour for multiple stops, watching her habits and gauging her reactions. They even knew enough to not only leak intel about her schedule to fan websights, but also assume their spy would be the most likely to be made, thus they had him run in an attempt to draw off security. I'd say there was money involved, and our boys may just be the first wave. From now on, Miss Vega needs one of us by her side at all times, and her big walls of meat have to be worth more in an incident then crowd control. You with me?"

"Bill and Ron are good people, but not fighters. Not the kind we'd need." The older boy said, thinking. "I know your trying to train them, and that will help, but an extra man or two wouldn't hurt. Just, you tell that to Tori. She hates that we take up two cars as is."

"Don't worry about Miss 'Come talk to me in the shower.' I've got this." Jade's impersonation of Tori wasn't flattering, but it was surprisingly close, given the lack of respect she'd shown. It did make Ryder laugh, even as a small warning flashed in the back of his mind. Like he did with everything else, he quickly analyzed the warning, concluded it had nothing to do with security, and promptly forgot it, all without even realizing he was doing it.

Tori was finishing up with her new routine as Jade sauntered into the practice room. "Hay, Miss Vega, I was wondering.."

"Tori." The singer corrected her. "I'm Tori. Keep it causal."

"Okay, Tori, I was wondering if maybe we could talk about the security arrangements you have in place." The dark haired girl started. "Ryder is correct, we need a couple of more people. You're too famous. We get hit by a bate and switch, or any type of distraction, you could be vulnerable. I'm just saying..."

"No!" The singers voice was soft but firm. "No more. We're in two cars as is. Jade, everyone on my tour, part of my crew, is a part of the extended family. Every dancer, every musician, every roadie. I may not know all their names, lord knows I try, but I know their faces, and I make a point of reminding them, and myself, that we're all in this together. So no, I'm not adding extra people who will shift some of the people I like having around me to other vehicles. Or have you noticed a lot of open seats on the planes we're taking."

"I haven't..." Jade started, but the money lady was speaking.

"So what? You'd rather be back on the buses?" Trina asked from her position on the dance floor. It looked like the manager had tried to learn the routine along with the dancers. Jade would later learn that dancing was one of the things Trina liked to do to keep in shape..

"I'd rather there was a way to have all of us get the best of both worlds." Tori replied, looking back at her sister. "I know we fly cause it keeps me rested, allowing my voice to recover and me to be ready for the publicity involved in the tour. Speaking of, I have a radio appearance for tomorrow, right?"

"That has nothing to do with a bit more security." Jade argued. "There are a lot of crazies out there. You need to protect your flanks. And what happens if something happens to me, or Ryder? We need a good backup plan."

"We have one." The pop princess insisted. "You. Now, you have the task of keeping me safe, and I'm in the mood to put that to the test. We have a few hours before I'm due on stage, and I feel like seeing the sights. Get changed and meet me in the lobby."

"Not the lobby." The bodyguard insisted. "Too open, probably full of fans. We meet up outside your room. You wait in the room, and when I knock, you can open the door and come out."

"I'll be waiting for you in the lobby, surrounded by my fans." The singer repeated. "You know, my extended extended family. Don't make me wait."

Jade's looked to Trina with hopeless eyes, trying to get someone to agree that Tori heading down to the lobby alone was nuts. When the older girl gave an equally helpless look back, they both knew something had to be done. Then Trina mouthed "I'll think of something." As she ran out the door.

Jade was swearing as she rushed to shower, get dressed including whatever gear she might need, and get down to the lobby before her crazy boss finished up and made a target of herself. 'This isn't worth the money their paying. A lousy three hundred and fifty per day for putting up with her shit, thats almost a joke. I swear, if she keeps pushing things like this, I'll…'

The bodyguard made it to the lobby in time to see Ron and Bill standing there, still dressed in their gym cloths, watching the crowd growing. Tori had just arrived and was taking pictures, signing autographs, and in general showing her love for her fans. "Sorry, only a short time to get this done. I've got an appointment. But I love you all, and I'll try to get through as many of you as I can." The singer was calling to the gathered fans.

Jade just gritted her teeth and tried to stay ahead of the situation. 'I hope no one live tweeted this, or we'll be mobbed.' She grumbled. Still, with the help of the hotel, they managed to push the line into a more or less single file, and each person got a few moments of the pop stars time. However, even limiting them to less then a minute each, it took over an hour to get through as many as they could. "Okay, listen up. I know many of you showed up after we started, and this isn't an official meet and greet, so get the fuck outta the way, we got to go." Jade yelled at the fans.

Then came the difficult process of pulling Tori through the crowd. It involved opening a line for them to walk through while keeping her safe from the people wanting to touch her. What amazed the bodyguard the most, other then how hard it was to explain to Ron the concept of opening a path, was how many hands wanted to touch her instead of the pop princess. She had to contain her temper as she was groped, fondled and pinched by hands that disappeared back into the crowd. Turning to find the offenders, thus thrashing them for being too handsy, would have meant taking her eyes off of the football (As they some times called the protected person) and thus wasn't an option.

It would piss the dark haired girl off even more to find out that Tori wasn't subjected to the level of physical intrusion she was, simply cause they knew any attempt to grope the star would incur the wrath of security. 'Remember, your a professional. You can shower your ass off later, after this sightseeing trip.' She told herself. "So, where we going?"

"Oh, I thought we'd just wing it." The singer said, smiling. Then she got a bit sheepish. "You have you drivers license, right? I never really had the chance to learn, what with the whole pop star thing happening."

"Don't you have a driver?" Jade wondered aloud.

"We're getting a rental car from the hotel, and just driving out." Tori explained. "Maybe get a guide book as well. You wouldn't mind going back and grabbing one, would you? I need to get ready for the trip. You know, my disguise."

The bodyguard glared at her charge, but went back to get the local guide book as well as they keys to a rental car that was delivered there only ten minutes earlier. The concierge was less then helpful, wishing them a pleasant trip and telling them where they could go for food and entertainment, but not having the car driver around to a safe place for them to enter.

Jade picked up the car, driving the far to open vehicle around to pick the singer up at a side entrance. Bill and Ron had stayed with her until then, at the door jade had deemed the best choice. Once Tori was in the passengers seat they drove out to see the city. The car, a Ford Mustang Convertible, didn't give them the anonymity that the bodyguard felt they needed. Worse, from a security point of view, was that they were the only one's in the car. There was no extra person, not even Kasey, to help if things went sideways. No, she was stuck driving along with one of the most recognizable girls in the business, who'd only bothered with a scarf tied around her hair and dark glasses on her face to hide the beauty that graced the multitude of billboards and magazine adds. Adds promoting the many products the starlet endorsed, including that brand of scarves. "Couldn't you have at least considered a wig?" The dark haired girl asked. "Something that would do a better job of hiding who you are? Or perhaps a burqa?"

"Ha ha." Tori fake laughed. "Seriously, why would I go through that much effort? I want to be appreciated for the effort I put into making myself look good. So why would I want to cover everything up, especially here, in the south, where a burqa would draw the wrong kind of attention. No, I think we'll leave it as a fashionable scarf around the hair, and the dark glasses. If someone recognizes me, we'll politely ask them to let me have my space. Besides, you're here in case anything goes wrong."

"You realize you only have one person to fall back on." Jade pointed out. "I'm not conformable with being the only person you have."

"Three things." Tori chirped, too happy. "One, we have the advantage of secrecy. No one knows we're out."

"Except everyone connected to the crowd of people you were signing for back there." The bodyguard corrected. "They know how your dressed, that you're going somewhere, and possibly the make of car I picked up. That last part maters cause I can assume they know whom your with. This isn't safe."

"Two, I'm the boss, and I want a bit of time away from the pressures of the family. They all remind me of Andre. We, him and me, we used to do this, sneak off and do some sightseeing. He had a gift for finding out of the way places where we could just blend into the background." There was a pout. "I need this."

"I really don't like..." The dark haired girl started.

"Three, I want to get to know you better." Tori pushed forward. "Lets be honest. I know next to nothing about you, and yet you've already seen me naked."

"You undressed right in front of me." Jade protested.

"So I'm guessing you kinda owe me." Tori said back, hiding her blush at having exposed herself under the cover of her glasses and scarf. "So you gonna start talking, or do we need this more then I thought. I'm thinking we could go out daily if necessary. Maybe give us a real chance to bond."

For several seconds, Jade just glared, but at the road since giving the singer her full ire would only lead to an accident in this borrowed car. In the end, she broke down and started explaining. "Whats to say, my parents got me into martial arts to help with my temper, and I turned that into a career." Jade just shrugged the answer off.

"So, what else did you want to do with your time, or was protecting me the one thing you focused on your whole life?" Tori pushed.

"Really?" Jade asked.

"Or we could try calling people on your emergency contact list. See what their willing to tell me." Tori threatened, knowing it was illegal, but still wanting something to get the bodyguard to open up.

With a sigh, she started. "I'm one of the people who tried to get into entertainment and wound up crashing and burning." The blue eyed girl said, still acting like it was no big thing. "So since I'd been doing martial arts of a while, I got into tournaments, and tried to make money that way. Unfortunately, the need for cash outweighed my normal desire to do research. That, and I used to have a temper. I'm not gonna go into it too deeply, but there was a while when I just needed to hurt people. You'd be amazed by the lack of scars on my body to know I was into underground cage fighting. Got my break in the big leagues, only to be disqualified due to my underground practices. So now I'm not able to follow my first two dreams, but I can keep others safe. Happy now?"

"What kind of entertainment?" Tori asked, like the dark cloud that seemed to form when the other girl spoke of her past wasn't even there.

"I sang, acted, wrote, hell, I even learned a bit about directing and production." The bodyguard said, no longer even pretending to be happy. The scowl on her face said stop. "Painful memories there. I don't wanna talk about it."

"Sing for me." Tori cooed.

"No." Jade replied.

"Aw, please? I'm your boss, so you hafta." The pop princess tried.

"You pay me to protect your ass." Jade replied, her voice now sharp. "Not to entertain you, and I think you've learned quite enough about me. Now either shut it, or I'm turning this car around and going back."

Tori stuck her tongue out at the driver, but shifted to safer subjects of conversation. "So, guarded anyone famous?"

"You."

"Oh, in that case, we should make this memorable." The pop princess said. "What would you like to do?"

:}

Tori is kinda spoiled, but I think she just misses having Andre around. I get the feeling she got really comfort able with him, to the point where she trusted him to talk to her when she was showering. Thats a lot of trust. Still, I liked the place I stopped. Feels like their gonna go on an adventure. Or maybe see the largest ball of twine in the state? Who knows. Probably the ball of twine. They have a sound check.

So thoughts, comments, whatever, please let me know with a review. And thanks for reading.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own.

:}

"Oh, in that case, we should make this memorable." The pop princess said. "What would you like to do?'

The smile on the blue eyed girls face was both encouraging, and frightening. For a moment, Tori worried for her life. She really didn't have too. Once the decision was made, they used the cars GPS to find their goal, and drove until they reached what Jade wanted to do. They were at a shooting range.

"And how is this safe?' Tori asked.

"Come on, with all the protective gear on, no one is gonna know who you are. So, pistols?" The dark haired girl asked.

"Sure." Tori said without much enthusiasm.

Jade rented two guns, a Glock 17, and a Beretta Model PX4 40 caliber. Both guns were nice, with the Beretta being a compact pistol. "Thats it? Not a big gun kind of girl, are you?" The singer asked.

"Let me guess, you were expecting me to go all dirty harry and get a 44 automag?" Jade laughed at the comment, but stopped at the glare the other girl was giving her.

"I'll just have the desert eagle in three five seven, please." Tori said nicely to the woman renting the guns.

"Thats a lot of gun, ma'am. Are you sure you can hale it?" The lady behind the counter asked.

"Plus fifty rounds of ammo." Tori said. "We'll take turns with all three guns."

They also bought a few targets and made their way to the range, claiming spaces next to one another so they could share the guns. Tori hadn't flinched when Jade insisted on the male cutout targets. They set up, loading their guns, and took their places at the line. "Now you wanna be holding that gun with two hands, and be ready for the kick." Jade yelled. She had to in order to be heard. It was an indoor rage, so in addition tot he sounds of the other there firing their guns, they also had to get through the protective earmuffs that were required at most ranges. The earmuffs were required to protect their hearing in that enclosed space, something Jade suspected Tori was in favor of. Many musicians wore earplugs to drown out the sounds on stage, so their large, industrial speakers didn't cause hearing damage.

"I Know what to do." Tori yelled back. The pop star then proceeded to empty the 357's clip, nine rounds, fairly quickly, putting holes in the target down range. Jade used the small pair of binoculars to check the score, and almost dropped them. "Well?"

"Not bad..." Jade started.

"So you could do better?" The singer asked.

"Well..." Jade lined up her sights and let her rounds go. She shot almost as fast, and her score was very high, all the shots getting within the torso, most in the kill area, at fifty feet. But Tori's were clustered in a three inch radius ring around the heart.

"So I'm good, right?" The pop princess asked. "You can't do that, can you? Hmm? HHMMMM?" she was once again in the bodyguards space.

"Okay, your a killer shot." The body guard admitted. "How the hell are you that good with a gun. How are you that good with that big a gun?"

"Please, my dad's a cop." Tori explained. "The only person on tour who's a better shot then I am is Trina, and she likes the forty four magnums."

"So I know, if it gets bad, to have someone carry a piece for you." Jade admitted.

"I never said I liked shooting them." Tori protested. "Not at people. Just, my dad made sure I could take care of myself."

"So you can fight?" Jade asked.

"Not as well as you'd think, given who my dad was." Tori admitted. "I'm a bit of a klutz when I'm not dancing, and I really don't have it in me to try and hurt someone. Maybe in self defense..."

From there, they had fun, shooting the various guns and enjoying the differences. The Glock was a smooth, accurate gun with a high ammo capacity. The Beretta was a heavier recoil, and packed as bit more punch. But due to it's small size, wasn't as accurate at range. And the desert Eagle, it was a small hand cannon that helped make holes in the target. Both Jade and Tori had fun using it to put holes in the head of their silhouette targets. It was a fun way for them to kill an hour or two, then head back to the hotel to get changed in time for the limo. Since they had time, along the way back, they stopped to look at a couple of the local sights, as well as grab something to eat and just enjoy the day. It amazed Jade that no one seemed to recognize Tori, but let it slide as people not looking too closely at tourists.

After their adventure at the shooting range, things they seemed to have found their way towards the beginnings of an understanding. The daily life settled into a routine of sorts. Tori would go about her business, posing with fans when she could, and otherwise getting on Jade's nerves. It was almost like a game, pushing it in the face of her security team, that she was going to do things her way, and they had to adjust to her actions. For her part, the bodyguard did her job, stayed aware of any and all possible threats. As a result of her diligence, she'd more then then once pissed Tori of by having either Ron or Bill carry her away from the crowd, at least long enough to check out possible threats, like a guy with his hand in his coat, or a suspicious bulge. Once that led to an arrest, as the guy had a squirt gun full of a potentially dangerous liquid. The others had Tori return shortly to continue with the impromptu meet and greet with only a quick apology. Usually after an agitated looking Jade had confiscating something long enough for the fan to get their time with Tori.

The schedule was grueling, for both the performers and those supporting them. Tori singing was very popular, so for the first leg of her tour she did five to six shows per week, and that was only because no one could maintain doing seven shows per weeks for months on end, let alone the year plus they'd be on tour. For her health, and the investment the promoters were putting into this tour, Tori had to stay healthy. It was why she flew, why she got rest days, and why Trina looked the other way when the pop princess snuck off on one of her little stress breaking adventures.

Those off days were special to the crew as well. Sometimes it was the time it took for the trucks to catch up, others it was just a scheduled layover day. The crew were dedicated professionals who enjoyed every minute of their off time, knowing how unlikely it was to last. Jade found them to be hard driven individuals who often loved the controlled risks involved in the tour, but more often then not just liked the gypsy like life style. Days off for them were the time they used to sigh see, relax, unwind, or otherwise experience the world. One guy had made it his mission to have a one night stand in every city he hit. This was his tenth tour, and he'd yet to come close. Too many shows were in and out before they had a chance to really do anything. Jade kept an eye on him, but otherwise let it pass. 'He did ask me where I was from. I'm not sure I like his implication.' Jade thought.

But the month passed with more incidence between he singer and her bodyguard then between them and the fans. The adjustment was odd, with Tori both resenting Jade for being there, and relying on her for the various things they'd do together. Even Kasey was left out of their little side trips, something Jade only found out was odd towards the end of the month.

The day it became clear to Jade just how things were done in Tori's work somehow etched itself in her memory forever. They did a radio interview, hardly the first one, but the host was reading questions and post on line to help connect Tori with her fans. During the interview, one of the posts they'd read off a fan groups sight was that their local chapters president was having a birthday party. After the long, often pointless interview, Tori raced out to her sister, holding the printout of the announcement in her hands. "Man, I'll bet that would be so fun." Tori said to her sister. "Can we go?"

"I've got things to finish, and you have a sound check at four." The older girl replied, hoping her sister would see reason.

"But we can still drop by, say hello, maybe try the cake..." Tori argued.

"Wouldn't be safe." Jade said, watching the starlet.

"Why not?" Tori whined.

"Not enough time or control." Jade explained. "I'd need to have a chance to go over the house, make sure of everyone at the party, and then we'd be worried cause there are factors we can't control, like knives, and strangers living nearby. Stuff like that we'd need to watch out for. I'd need two more men to work perimeter, while I made sure no one at the party tried anything. Also, we'd want to check ID's, cause you can never tell who'd show up and make trouble once word gets out that your there. And trust me, word will get out.".

"Phooey, thats no fun." Tori harrumphed. But as the day wore on, the pop princess was smiling, plotting something.

Then, a little after one, she led the way to the hotels garage, where a rental car was waiting. "Um, Jade, I don't have my license, so if you would..." She gestured towards the nice mid sized car with tinted windows.

"Whats this?" The bodyguard asked.

"We have somewhere we have to be." The singer said. "Don't worry, I'm not going out the front door. So, since I'm being cautious, I'm sure, if we just drop by for a little while, it'll be okay."

"You want to go to the party, don't you?" The blue eyed girl asked. "We'll need both Bill and Ron..."

"They're running security for the concert, giving us time to just pop in, take a few pictures, and then get out." Tori assured her. "So, you driving, or do I have to see if I can remember my drivers education?"

"You can't just leave." Jade said, glaring at her client.

"I have Trina's permission, provided it's a quick, discreet trip. We go, give them a little time, and pop back to the show. Everything's good, right? Also, I'll be seeing if she has tickets to the show, and if not, I'll arrange some at the will call." Tori promised. "The address is already programmed into the GPS."

"I still don't think this is a good idea." The bodyguard grumbled. "Next time, plan on doing something like this well in advance, so we can factor in the risks."

"How would I know about something like this in advance?" Tori asked. "I only read about it today, while going through the radio stations questions for me. But, I love my fans, and I'm gonna be there for this… Girl?"

"You don't even know what gender the fan is?" Jade asked. "What do you know about them?"

"Their name is Erin, and today is their birthday." The Latina said, smiling like she'd accomplished something.

"So if it turns out we're dealing with a middle aged man?" The raven haired girl asked.

"Then maybe I'll have you sit on his lap first, to make sure nothing happens." Tori shot back. "I just know we're dealing with a teenage girl, someone who will remember this day for the rest of their life. I'm special like that."

"Yea, I know, ride the short tour bus and everything." Jade mumbled.

"What was that?" Tori asked, glaring at the other girl.

"Nothing, just saying how special needs this idea is." Jade said with a big smile. "It's just shy of putting a helmet on you in case you fall down a lot dumb."

Despite the argument, they showed up at what appeared to be a fairly nondescript green painted fourplex. "Stay here until I check this out." The bodyguard instructed before she walked to the door, checking to make sure they were at the right address. With four homes to choose from, it was important to get the right one. Seconds later, she knocked on the proper address and waited. The door opened and a young woman, collage age, stood there, staring. "I'm looking for Erin, has a birthday today." Jade said.

"If Mitch sent a stripper, I'll kill him." She murmured.

"I'm not a stripper." Jade assured her. "You Erin?"

"I'm Stacy, her roommate." The girl said. "She's inside, with her friends, having a small get together. And you are?"

Just then, a screech erupted from the kitchen, followed by a blond rushing out to see who was at the door. "OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!" She was chanting, her voice reverberating throughout the apartment, as she struggled to look past Jade to the car where Tori was waiving. Her voice died down to a whhisper. "It's her. It's really her?"

"How'd…?" Jade started to ask, but Tori had gotten out of the car and started walking casually towards the door. Erin, in her excitement, met the megastar part way. "WAIT!" The bodyguards voice cut through the air.

Jade bound over to cut the hug off, but was too late when Tori rushed the girl to get her hug in first. Quickly Jade was pulling them apart, but the smile on Tori's face told her that this girl was no threat. 'Still…' Her next move was to shove the girl towards her front door, while dragging her client along with her. "Everyone inside before we draw attention." Her voice was all command, no room for backtalk.

Jade pushed them into the house, and while they exchanged pleasantries in the entryway, went to check out who was there and what they were doing. It appeared to be a hand full of girls, all in collage, who had gathered together for an early afternoon party before… "Isn't this a bit early to be having a big girls party?" Jade asked.

"She has tickets to the Tori Vega show tonight." One of the guests said. "So, your not a stripper, what are you?"

"Security." Jade growled. But the others were noticing Tori, who was being led by the birthday girl into the apartment.

"Then you'll love this." Stacy said, showing her one of the other girls phone. It held a twitter alert, from Tori, saying 'Attending a party for my local fan club president, who lives in an adorable green fourplex on Lancaster.'

Jade's blood went cold. "She tweeted it?" The bodyguard whispered. "She chizzing tweeted it."

"Yea, not the brightest thing to do." Stacy said. "Wonder why?"

"Tori, why the hell did you tweet that you were going to this party?" The blue eyed girl demanded, storming in to see her client involved in the early stages of a makeover of the birthday girl.

"It's not polite to just show up. I didn't have their phone number, but I knew they'd be following my twitter account, so I just let them know." Tori said, as if that was explanation enough.

"With just me here?" Jade asked, looking more nervous now then peeved. "Tori, do you know how many followers you have?"

"Ninety five million, scattered all over the world." Erin said, smiling.

"And some of them live locally, right?" Jade asked, but didn't wait for a reply. "I'll bet some of them live here, in this city, but not in this apartment."

"It's a fourplex." Erin said. "Technically a condo."

"Technically, we'll have dozens of people arriving withing the next few minutes, and I need to get her out of here." The goth shot back.

"Technically, we'll be fine." Tori said. "These are my fans, and when you consider the number of people around the world, I don't have that many followers. What are the odds that someone local would show up just because I'm here?"

"Miss Vega, as much as I'm loving having you here, I think she's right." Erin said. "There are message boards and shit, and who knows how many have been alerted. I mean, there's the possibility that we'll be swamped, any moment now, and I don't want to be responsible for you getting hurt."

"But I wanted to celebrate your birthday with you." Tori whined.

"Okay, we have to act fast." Jade announced. "Stacy, lock the doors. You got a car?"

"Yea." The roommate said.

"Is it on the street, in a parking space, what?" Jade demanded.

"It's parked in my spot." The girl said. "We have a garage, one space, but we'd have to go through open space to get there. However, it's not that far..."

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do." Jade counted the girls at the party. "Looks like six girls. Anyone planning on meeting up with you?"

"Nah, we're keeping it simple." Stacy said. "Our other roommate is out, having a time, and so it's just us."

"Okay, Stacy, I'm borrowing your car. Four seats, right?" The roommate gave a quick nod. "Erin, you and one other, come with me and Tori. Stacy, your taking our car and driving the others to the venue. GPS has directions. Someone, we'll need one more car to make this work, cause I'm not thinking we'll be able to drop you off when this is done. Anyways, you'll follow us," She then directed her attention to Stacy, "and I'll follow you. I'll call this in. And Tori, I'm gonna get something to hide who you are..." Jade looked around the place.

"Mitche's jacket." One of the girls suggested.

"Mitch is your other roommate?" Tori asked, smiling sweetly.

"No, he's my stupid ex." Erin replied. "We broke up cause he thought I was a lesbian, just cause that Shapiro guy says you are. Like you being gay would make me gay."

"I'm not gay." Tori protested. "And it wouldn't be that big a deal if I was."

"You can argue that later." Jade interjected, having grabbed the jacket and a hat. "Lets go."

She led Tori, her hair stuffed into the hat, dark glassed hiding her face and the jacket hiding her build, out and along the side of the fourplex, watching as the crowd of people looking the neighborhood over grew in leaps and bounds. There were a lot of people walking over to and around the condo, looking for the party. Luckily, with them going in three cars, it made it a little less likely they'd be noticed. Also, since Tori could hide in the garage for the short time it took for everyone else to get moving, they'd be able to meet up a bit later at an Inside-out Burger down the road and go from there.

Jade drove with her knuckles turning white, wishing she didn't have to worry about this kind of chiz. 'If she'd told me, we could have done something earlier. But nooo, I had to find out from a girl I'm trusting with the chizzing rental car. I'll be lucky if things don't get janked up, even more.'

They reached the venue with an hour to kill before the sound check, and Jade had Trina get them all in, as well as arranging backstage passes for the now seven girls that were going to be celebrating Erin's birthday.

"Who the hell is this?" Jade demanded of Stacy, who'd stopped along the way to pick up the extra girl.

"This is Cheshire, the stripper." The roommate said. "Mitch is predictable."

"And you couldn't just leave her?" The blue eyed girl demanded.

"To be buried by that mob?" Stacy asked. "Besides, she doesn't take her cloths off, she doesn't get paid."

"Isn't there supposed to be some guy along to keep her safe?" Jade asked.,

"I'm just a girl trying to earn her way through school." The stripper said. "If I did nude, then yea, they'd send someone. But this is a girls birthday. I wasn't expected to do more then a basic lap dance, and then maybe some other shit. I'm not sure yet."

Jade was almost pulling her hair out as she found a space for them to use, got their backstage passes worked out, as well as their seating for the show, and then found her place to watch and make sure nothing bad happened. "At least you didn't grab extras." The bodyguard grumbled. "You only have room for eight people in those cars of yours."

"Hay hay, looks like the party's going full swing." Trina announced as she walked into the room. "No drinking, Tori. You have a show to do. Who's Erin?" Jade pointed the blond out. "Wanna wish you a happy birthday. Tori doesn't do this very often, so enjoy." Then a bit more serious. "Jade, a word."

Ryder was holding in his laughter as the female bodyguard walked over to get chewed out for letting this happen. "Next time, call and confirm I gave the okay."

"You mean she lied?" Jade asked. "I thought..."

"No, I said she could go." Trina cut her off. "Just, confirm, okay? And I'm sorry my sister still doesn't understand that she doesn't have the level of privacy she once had. Quick thinking, bringing them here. Better, even, cause we can control the media spin on this. Pretend that we had you pick them up and bring them here, and that the group at their home was misguided. I just hope no one breaks in while their gone."

"I'll call the police, have them do more drive by's." Jade said.

"No, I will." The older girl said. "Have Tori go do her sound check. I've sent Kasey to get a cake. You, go get your party on. Just, no drinking. Other then that, have fun."

"I'm on duty." Jade said, watching Tori.

"Yea, but now it's making sure those girls don't cause a problem. And Tori doesn't get a lap dance from the stripper." Trina ordered.

Tori had, unknown to Jade, tweeted that the party had moved to the venue. She'd waited to do it on the road, so they'd be able to get there unhindered. The idea had been to shift the crowd back to the show, and away from the poor girls home.

Later, after the show, Jade made sure each of the party guests made it out unhurt, and sent tee shirts home with each of them as a form of gift. Even the stripper got a shirt, as well as a lift home curtsy of Kasey and the rental car. Despite what a mess it was, the publicity was manageable, and Tori got to have her cake. "Next time, You're getting your dance on." Tori told the raven haired bodyguard as they rode back to the hotel.

:}

So thoughts? Tori is a bit OOC here, but she does fit who I was ask to make her, a pop star with a decade of being near or on top. She's rebelling against her own image, as well as the idea that people will get her whatever she wants, but she can't just pop out to the store to get something.

So review, cause I feel like someone just had the best birthday of their lives. Also, thoughts about Trina's choice in hand cannons. So what are your thoughts.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Victorious and it's characters belong to Schneiders Bakery and/or Nickelodeon studios. I don't own.

:}

In addition to Tori's somewhat rebellious behavior, There was another, more covert problem for Jade that had been developing as time went one. It seemed Tori just couldn't forget Jade telling her about wanting to be an entertainer. That somehow stuck with the pop star, to the point where she'd asked the blue eyed girl to sing for her while out on their adventure. After their bonding at the shooting range, however, Tori had tried to ignore Jade's entertainment past and focus on what the girl wanted to do now. 'After all, Trina wanted to sing, and god she can't.' Tori reasoned. But over time, the older sister singing had gotten better, no longer habitually off key, and so Tori was left to wonder what the blue eyed bodyguard sounded like.

Jade, however, never said another word about her past, not giving a hint as what she was like. She even avoided singing at Erin's birthday. That frustrated the pop princess, who'd grown up with Trina and felt she could handle any level of bad singing. So Tori discreetly asked, then less discreetly demanded, only to find out that Jade wasn't going to budge. Not one note sung, not one scene played out. The girl even refused to play charades.

Tori wasn't going to be stymied, not by her too hot to handle bodyguard. So the singer had made it her mission to find out more about Jade's performing past. The web searches were not producing much at first, since Tori usually had Kasey do that kind of research. It just felt wrong to drag her assistant into that kind of mischief, as getting in trouble with the apparently lethal blue eyed girl was potentially bad for her health. Besides, the girl was too busy finding the special cheese Tori liked or making sure that none of the bands arbitrary demands were violated. Contract riders were a pain sometimes, and Tori hated for her people to be shorted, so when the promoter didn't come through, she had her assistant working to correct that problem. But it meant Tori had to figure out how to do varying web searches, looking for the right combination of words to give her any clue about Jade's past.

Tori's used every spare moment she could to look for Jade's secret, often checking things while watching whatever inane movie was playing during their flights. (Often movies she herself had insisted upon.). Days passed, with her checking more and more obscure sights, different ways of asking the same question. Her obsession had taken her to the edge of the dark net, to the playground where if you don't know the Internet Resource locator (IRL), you'll never find it. Still in the public, and benign parts of the internet, the singer was checking an off site when she hit pay-dirt. Sitting in her room, relaxing after a rare afternoon show, she'd decided to spend another hour checking various off topics hoping for a connection. "Jade West..." She read aloud. The local talk show hadn't called for the anticipated interview, for which she was now very happy. Instead, she was reading this sight, and feeling both a sense of victory, and a strange feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. Quickly, she fumbled for her phone, calling her sister. "Trina, can I see you for a bit?"

Her sister sighed, then replied "Be there in a minute." Tori wasn't one for big diva moments, but sometimes the girl had the weirdest requests. Other times, she just needed to be assured that things were going the way they were supposed to be going. Trina had the talk show lined up, but canceled based on how this guy treated his guests. He pranked everyone. 'Besides, she's probably wanting to tell me that one of the dancers really really needs a special shade of eyeliner that they just can't find anywhere.' The manager chucked to herself. That was so Tori.

So, mere seconds after getting the call, Trina knocked on her sisters hotel room door. "Okay, whats the big that had you asking to see me? Is Izzy out of that damn sparkling water he likes so much?" Trina refereed to the guitarist who they were using this tour. He was solid, if a bit of a drama queen. At least he constantly didn't get high, unlike the guy he replaced.

"You remember the year I won American Voice?" Tori asked, her voice solemn. Trina nodded as she continued. "It was the year I met Beck, who as you recall, was also on the show. You remember that? And do you remember how we were all talking about that mini scandal, when someone got thrown out out of the auditions for fighting?"

"Yep." The older sister replied.

Tori turned her computer. Showing the old, hard to find on line version of the police report. "Jade was one of the people arrested for fighting. Says here she was defending another hopeful, but as I recall, the show didn't care. She was tossed out just like the guy she was fighting, some hopeful's boyfriend."

"Congratulations, she was one of thousands who tried out that year." Trina was sarcastic. "Tori, it doesn't matter, she had her chance and didn't make it. Even if she'd been on the show, she'd have been up against you, and would have lost. I know she's put it behind her, so you should too. Stop trying to look into her past, cause if you do, you'll try to help. And every time you try to help, we wind up with another disaster on out hands." The older girls voice softened, as she put her hand on her sisters arm. "You know I'm right, so let it go."

"But she wanted to siiing." Tori whined.

"No, she wanted to be famous." Her sister corrected her. "But as long as we're on the subject, you know Dre's rejoining the tour in a couple of days. Just in time for the European leg of the tour, leading to the world tour. So, do we cut her, or keep her since Dre's probably better off in a more supportive roll right now?"

"We have those shows in the Caribbean before we head over seas, right?" Tori asked. "The mini vacation we promised the crew? Lets keep her on, see how she takes being a bodyguard on the beach, then maybe we can take her to Europe. Then Asia, and the rest of the world."

"Yep, we're gonna take her to see the world. That is, assuming she can handle our other schedule." Trina assured her sister. "You just, let me handle the whole Jade's past thing. I think she's put it behind her, but I'll make sure to nip any problems in the but. You, just focus on performing, making us all that sweet sweet cabbage that is the reason we're all here. Okay?'

"Okay." The singer sighed. "Oh, we're hitting Bermuda, right? Will Beck be there?"

"We made plans, and he does have some time off from his play, so he should be there." Trina explained. "You know about the play, right? It's a major supporting roll on Broadway. Thing is, there's this rock star, Wade Collins, and he wanted to get him some Broadway stage time to add to his acting cred. So, being the gentlemen he is, Beck graciously offered his roll for a couple of weeks, so Wade can get his acting on. So, yea, Beck should be there, ready to relax with the rest of us, and we'll all have us a time before we hit Europe. And Hay, after Europe, we have the more relaxed schedule, cause of travel and shit." The older girl was smiling, reassuring, on the outside. However, on the inside she was worried. 'I set the whole Wade Collins thing up just to give you two this time together, and to give us a few romantic photo ops. But now, I'm a little worried he'll flake out on us. Boy resents your success.'

"I hope nothing gets in the way. We video chat, call each other, that kind of stuff, but it's been too long since we were in the same place." The singers face contorted. "You don't think it's cause I don't like to blow him, do you? I mean, when I do, sometimes I gag, and regardless of what he claims, I know that affects my singing. Sometimes for days. I just don't wanna give a bad show. Beck gets that, right? I mean, I give him everything else. I even offered to get that IUD so he didn't have to use the condoms, cause he complained they don't feel right. Of course, that was before you told me that getting one would send the wrong image, make people think I was a slut."

"It totally would." The older girl insisted. "I'll make sure he's gonna show up, and let you know." Trina smiled as she walked out of the room. 'With as many girls as he sleeps with, I had to make sure she was safe, and not just from pregnancy. Disease is a major threat. Frankly, I'm amazed his pecker hasn't turned some odd color and fallen off.'

She stopped outside the of Ryder's room. Knocking, she briefly hoped to find him in a compromising situation with the new bodyguard. Ryders past was well behind him, but the boy still had his charms, and Jade was a looker. But when the door opened, he was alone, wearing a bath robe. Behind him there was a naked girls frozen on his TV screen, trapped in the process of trying to swallow a mans dick. "Trina, whats up?" He asked, not bothering to be embarrassed by his predicament. "So Bermuda, then the rest of the Caribbean?"

"Ten days with only five show." She echoed. "I've been waiting for this break all tour. I'm gonna enjoy the four days off we get. Then, we're on our way to Europe." Her smile faded. "But Beck's gonna be joining us, at the resort, and I need to make sure that there's no problems with the new girl."

"Nah, Jade's a pro." The taller boy assured her.

"I know, but I'm afraid she might have a past we're not ready to deal with." Trina explained. "Plus, look at her. I'm half expecting Beck to put a move on her. And if he doesn't, that could be worse." He gave her a puzzled look. "Look, It's a long shot, but, lets just hope no one affiliated with Shapiro is anywhere near this, cause I don't need the headache."

"It'll be fine." He assured her. "Look, Robbie's got a long reach, but I doubt he'd be able to convince Cat to hire one of his informants as a bodyguard. And you know, us security folks, we're good at keeping secrets. It's like job two for us."

"Job one being keeping the client safe." Trina asked, stepping into him, her eyes smiling.

"And job three is making sure our clients is satisfied with our performance." He added. "You got time? I can restart the movie." His smile promised satisfacton.

"Tempted, but I need to get a couple of things done before Bermuda." She sighed, giving him a quick kiss before heading back to her own room.

The next couple of days where a hectic blur. The cast and crew were all talking about Bermuda, and the anticipated vacation that awaited them there. People were talking about the beach, the hotel, and mostly being able to just relax for a couple of days and take it easy. Jade found that every dancer and crew member seemed to be making plans, either individually or in groups. Then there were the hookups. There were a dozen plus guys in the crew, plus several more among the dancers, and it seemed that half of them didn't hold onto any more commitment then one tour, or even less. Jade had been hit upon several times, by both crew and dancers, representing every possible gender mix. 'Never thought I'd be grateful for working through a vacation.' She'd thought, more then once.

And then, after a week straight of shows, since they had to make one up, the day came when everyone was heading to the air port. The small private jet that had been waiting for Tori was now replaced by a larger one, one big enough to hold the entire cast, crew and extras from the tour.

Jade reviewed the details of this small passenger plane that now waited for them. While it had a capacity of one hundred and fifty people, plus a descent amount of luggage and cargo, it had been reset to handle the smaller numbers by giving them more room to stretch, lay back and move about. It was going to be their main transport from island to island for the next few days, as they hit each show and then moved on the next day. Five shows in five days, then back to Bermuda for five or so days off to rest and recover.

'And then Europe.' Jade thought. She couldn't believe it, standing on the tarmac, watching everyone boarding, waiting for Ryder to give the signal that said everyone was on board so they could board as well. 'Never been to Europe. Hell, if it weren't for Canada being so close, I'd never have left the U.S. And it's the syrup that made me go and get my passport more then the possibility of working over seas.' She smiled at the memories of slipping over to Canada to snag a bottle of pure maple syrup, then rushing back to enjoy it. 'I could have gone to Maine, but those people are vicious. Easier to smuggle it across national lines.' She smirked, because one bottle was considered personal use, and usually ignored at costumes.

Ryder gave the signal. "Jade, we need to get in. Trina has something to say, and it's for everyone. The luggage is all loaded, the compartment sealed, and airport security is responsible for us now."

"Think I'll get a window seat?" Jade joked.

"I just call the worst seat imaginable, and pretend it's the one I wanted." Ryder shot back as they climbed the boarding stairs and got on the plane. He gave Trina a quick thumbs up, letting the manager know everyone was on board.

"Okay everyone, this is a special treat." Trina announced to the gathered cast and crew. She'd stood up at the front of the passenger area, and was shouting to get everyone to calm down enough to hear her instructions. The speaker system went live, and Trina had the volume advantage, no longer needing to shout just to be heard.. "Now, the studio's chartered a plane to fly us all over the Caribbean, you know, for the show. That means we're all traveling together. Tori is very excited for this leg of the trip, cause she gets to spend so little time with you while touring. However, there are a few details I want to remind everyone about. First is, as big as the plane is, it's not big enough for our show. Many of the sets we use are going to Europe by boat. So this show is gonna be more bare bones, with what they provided as backdrops and extra equipment. And remember, they only have a one off budget, so it's not gonna be as good."

She paused for a second, to make sure that people were still listening. "That being said, We're hitting Bermuda, then one of the British Virgin Islands, Aruba, Pueto Rico, and Barbados. Then we head back to Bermuda for a little rest and relaxation before going to Europe for the next leg of our tour. So, work hard, enjoy the weather, and we'll have four days to just kick back and relax once the hard work is done."

Her speech was met with cheers, as well as people talking about what they wanted to see or do at the various places they would visit. "Jade, you read for this?" Ryder asked. He'd noticed how nervous she'd looked when she wasn't focused on doing her job. They were in the front part of the plane, what was once the first class section, back when the aircraft was designed. Here it formed a set of two U's on either side of the aisle, where people could sit and talk, and have plenty of leg room. Trina had snagged that part for the ten or so people who normally flew together, but Tori was off and mingling with the others.

"Yea, got my passport and everything. Pity I had to leave my weapons, but they look down on us carrying in most of these countries." The blue eyed girl said, smiling at the adventure awaiting them. "But I don't expect much trouble here. And if she does somehow get in trouble, I imagine we'll find whatever we need as we go."

"Thats it, be optimistic." The older boy said, looking out the window. "I do kinda miss the smaller planes, but we'll have plenty of that once in Europe."

"Wait, we're still gonna travel by air?" The female bodyguard asked. "I thought, given the rail system, and how small the whole of Europe is, we'd be taking ground based transport."

"You'd think, but us flying, it's in her rider. The part of her contract where she's allowed to make outrageous demands, and they have to give her as much as possible, cause that shows they know how to treat her like a rock star." Ryder explained.

"But she's a pop star." jade pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. It's the way things are done. She fly's when possible," Ryder insisted. "She fly's, stays rested, and can give the best performance. Trust me, when she's tired, she starts acting all goofy, and you've seen her when she's over tired. Great show, just a bit off on her behaviors. But flying, it avoids us having another moment like that, and that keeps us all happy."

"Not sure I like that thought of her having me keep her company in the shower again." Jade said, her eyes hardening. "Vega's great, I really mean it, but working for her is so frustrating. Fist, well, it's the biggie, but she tends to take too many risks. I've tried to rein her in, over and over, but you know how she is. It's like I'm dealing with a defiant child, out to do just the opposite of what we tell her is the best option. Like those days out she spent with me. I told her, every time, we needed more security, more personnel to watch out for her. And every time she insisted on going out with just me. I get it, so far nothings happened that I couldn't handle, but what do we do when it does happen. And we both know it's just a matter of time before something happens that I'm not enough to deal with. I mean, Tori Vega, America's girl next door fantasy, out with only one guard. Thats crazy."

"You handled the birthday party just fine, but I totally see where your coming from. Still, Tori's the boss, regardless of what else she is." The other bodyguard said. "She expects to get her way. We just have to be patient, and put our foot down when it gets too dangerous. That, and anticipate trouble, cause she's gonna just walk into it." He sighed. "So, speaking of acting childish, you've started calling her Vega. Any reason?"

"I need to maintain professionalism, and her desire to be my fucking sister isn't helping." The raven haired girl stated. "It leads to trouble. I can already see the day when something bad happens and I tell her to go with Ron, or Bill, and she doesn't. And why doesn't she? Cause I'm her friend, and I'm in major danger. I mean, I'll be there, risking my life, hoping she'll act like a good little self centered client and go rushing off to safety, so I could be able to focus only on getting my ass out of that trouble. And what will she do? If she stays, tries to help, she'd be putting herself in undo risk, and me as well. I'm not crazy about risking both our lives over an imagined friendship. I'm hired help, not her fucking best friend."

"Well, you'll love this news then." The tall boy said. "Andre is in Bermuda. Cat had him sent there once she got the release from the Recovery Center. As soon as they gave him his clean bill of health, he was on the next plane to Bermuda. Been staying in a hotel and everything, waiting for us to arrive. He'll be the one meeting us at the airport, and even if he's not fit to do front like shit, we need the extra pair of eyes. Better, he's Tori's friend, so he might be able to bring her back in line. And who knows, little Kitty might be there too. Ten days in paradise? I'd take that opportunity."

"She can be very difficult to deal with sometimes." Jade said, smiling, knowing it was a joke. "Okay, really, she likes such safe, sweet places, makes me wonder why she needed a bodyguard while in New York. But hay, she was paying, so I sucked it up and found out just how big the Disney store in Times Square really was."

"You get along with her? Cat I mean." The older bodyguard asked.

"I get the feeling everyone gets along with her." The dark haired bodyguard replied. "Or she tries to get along with everyone. Either way, it'll be nice to see her in a different environment. She was always on the phone, or doing business, or talking. The girl was as bad as Tori, asking me all kinds of personal questions. Wait, let me take that back, Tori never asked the questions she did." Jade grew still, no longer wanting to talk.

"Jade, you just zoned out." Ryder prompted. "You okay?"

"Yea, it's just, there are parts of my past I'd rather not talk about." The blue eyed girl said.

Jade looked up to see Trina watching her. Over the last couple of days, the older girl had been keeping her distance. It felt like she was reluctant to confront the one time goth, but something was definitely off about the whole thing. They spoke, but recently the manager had switched to using Ryder to relay instructions rather then tell her directly. More confusing, Trina had approached, seemingly conflicted, then turned to do something, often anything else, like she wasn't ready for a conversation. 'And she's the girl who talked to me about what was the best way I knew to give head, offering me pointers and advice based on her own dating experiences. That was an awkward conversation to have while waiting for her sister to finish an interview.' The fighter knew her boss, the one who did the hiring and firing, was having trouble broaching a subject with her. It was strange, given that this morning Ryder asked how long she could stay on, and if she'd consider having a fling with one of the crew. 'What is it about me sleeping with the crew? Is me not getting any somehow a threat to her show?' Jade wondered.

The memory of that question, if she'd consider hooking up with someone in the crew, bothered the bodyguard. She went over Ryder's reasoning again. "I'm just saying, you getting a little sexual relief, that would help everyone. You wouldn't be so uptight, and Trina would stop worrying about who you might be sleeping with. Yes, she asks me who your with, and why you haven't melted to my charms a while ago." Something in that moment hadn't jumped out then, but now glared at her.

"Ryder, you went to school with the Vega's, right?" She asked. "You said you were a bit of a problem for one of them."

"I used Tori for a good grade in our singing class." He admitted, again. "But we're all past that now."

"How did you wind up working for Tori? And how does Trina know so much about your charms?" Jade was watching him now, looking for any subtle clues that he was hiding something, anything.

"Well, after collage turned out to be a lot harder then I thought it would be, I realized I needed a job. And Trina, she needed people to watch her sisters back, people she kinda knew, cause the bodyguards they had at the time were either short term, or too distant. I'm saying she didn't know them, and never would. At least with me, she knew what motivated me, and we went from there." The tall boy said. "As for my charms, remember I convinced Tori to date me so I could use her for the grade."

"Then why would she allow anyone who could manipulate her sister to get this close to her?" The now interested girl pushed. "Why did you, of all the guys who stuck around, learn to be a bodyguard. Also, your the number one guy right now, but you can't wait for Andre to get back so he can take that roll. Whats up with all of this? What am I missing? You know I'll find out."

He almost laughed at the implied threat. "I used to have a thing with the boss." He admitted, keeping his voice low so no one would hear. "Not Tori, Trina. We started seeing each other after the whole Tori disaster. It was after they'd kinda outed me for my behavior, so at the time no girl would date me. But Trina, she wasn't after a date. When we agreed to see each other, Cause she didn't want to be bogged down, we both promised to keep it light. Strictly fun, and later, physical. But as time went on, I found out that karma's a vengeful bitch." He stopped to sigh again, watching the boss lady out of the corner of his eye.

Ryder returned his eyes to the blue ones belonging to the girl he was talking too. "Bottom line, I fell, she didn't. So now, I'm along as much for her desire to have a No Strings relationship as I am for my job as a bodyguard. She could dump me in a second, so it's safe for me to be watching her back. Andre, he's Tori's bud, but we get along great. He keeps your secrets, and offers me advice on how to deal with things when Trina decides flirting is her best option. FYI, She doesn't flirt to get things unless she has no other choice."

"Your still sleeping with her?" Jade asked, reading his subtle nod as a yes. "And she wanted you to seduce me?" Another nod. "What, is she terrified that I'm gonna be the one that Shapiro jerk has here to seduce her sister?"

"Not really." Ryder admitted. "She was fine with you up until just about a week or two ago, then she wanted to know who's boat you were rocking."

For several seconds, Jade's mind was whirling, looking for any reason this would make sense. But it kept coming back to the same one, over and over again. The reason she'd been afraid would come up from the moment she was hired and found out who she would be guarding.

"Fuck!" Jade hissed. "I need to talk to her."

:}

Lots of words just to get a couple of points across, but I did it. I did consider just writing the story as bullet points, but how interesting would that be? So instead, you got over four thousand words.

So what are your thoughts? I know, as a cliffhanger, this is beyond weak, but still, what dark secret is jade about to face? And what repercussions might it bring? Your thoughts, as always are welcome. There's even a review box for you to type them into.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own, make no profit, and sometimes lose sleep. I doubt anyone wants to sue for that.

:}

"Fuck!" Jade hissed. "I need to talk to her."

"Not now, we're landing." Ryder said, buckling his seat-belt. Jade hadn't realized how long they'd been just enjoying the flight before she broached the subject.

The plane landed, then was directed to their gate, all while Jade wanted to have her moment with the boss. But someone had to oversee the disembarking of the whole cast and crew, while Trina made sure they had transport to the resort, as well as rooms for them when they got there. They had their own carousel for luggage, managing to recover everything very quickly. Still, what costumes they were taking had to be put on the (Large) bus and stowed for the trip, as well as getting everyone else through customs. While Jade and Ryder oversaw that, Trina had her own jobs to do, always spearheading while the bodyguards were shepherding. It kept Jade from having that few moments she felt she'd need to speak to Trina, work things out before they spun out of control. Ryder watched Tori as Jade got the crew to help load the bus, followed almost immediately by them boarding in an orderly fashion. She had her first moment of peace when they were on the bus, heading to the resort, Tori reading her phone at her side. "Guys, we have the whole place to ourselves. Well, almost. You'll see." Trina announced.

Jade worked her way up past Malcolm to sit near Trina. "Boss, we need to talk."

"No, we don't." Trina replied. "It's too late now. Just, you know, be cool. Don't bring it up, Tori doesn't need to know."

Jade wasn't sure how much Trina knew, and what she should do about things if they went down hill, so she decided to just take the boss lady's advice and relax. 'Too late to do anything about it anyways.' She reasoned. But her knees still shook, and the inside of her stomach was starting to hurt, just a bit.

Then the short ride on the bus was over, and they disembarked onto the grounds of a small but secure resort hotel where they'd be staying while on the island. Jade was not the first off the bus, that was Bill, who made himself useful by helping the driver unload the luggage and distributing everything. It was amazing to see him and Ron, both so marginally useful as security, be such experts at the organization needed to get everyone off the bus and into the hotel as quickly as possible.

But once she did get off the bus, she saw Tori standing next to a medium height black man in very good shape. "Thats Andre." Trina pointed out. "I believe you know Cat." She pointed over to where the redhead was, distributing the key cards. "And over there is the thing we'll not be talking about." Trina pointed briefly before drifted away to take care of another issue.

Beck was walking out of the hotel, wearing only Bermuda shorts and an open Hawaiian shirt, while looking every bit as handsome as he ever did. Jade felt her heart skip a beat, as memories flooded her. Memories she'd sworn to put behind her. Steeling herself and putting on her bitch face, she made her way over to Tori to speak. "Vega, let me know if you need me. I'm gonna go speak with hotel security..."

"Don't worry about it, I already did that." The Black man, Andre, told her. "We spoke, went over everything, and we're good now. Just so you know, they've hired a couple of off duty cops to help tighten security here, and the grounds have twenty four seven camera and patrol security. They're gonna catch anyone who's not supposed to be here."

"We gonna be wearing identification badges or something?" The raven haired girl asked.

"No need, they have all our pictures, and can check their data base. We're good." He informed her. "I'm Andre, by the way. I know you're Jade, cause I've seen your resume, and your picture. Nice to actualy meet you."

She was looking around, looking for something to do to get her away from this impending disaster. "Nice to meet you. You can call me Jade, but I wish Miss Vega here would call me..."

"I'll keep calling you Jade." Tori informed her.

"Anyways, these grounds are secure, so why don't you relax." The black bodyguard continued. "After all, this is as much our vacation as everyone else's. So you can just go get a room, get settled in, and relax a bit by the pool. I'll have someone call you before we have to head out to the sound check. Tonight we relax, do the show, then tomorrow morning we fly out the next gig. You have a couple of hours, so relax. As I said, this part of the tour, security's tight. Biggest problems gonna be in Pueto Rico, and thats cause Tori here traces her ancestry there."

Jade nodded, turned and tried to make her way to Cat, wanting to get her key with as little fanfare as possible. She just wanted to go to her room and relax, let the whole melodrama of seeing Beck again pass without incident. 'Please, all I need is a gym to work out in, and maybe a balcony to relax on.' She begged to the gods above and below. But her prayers went unanswered.

"Tori, babe, I've been counting the day unti… Holy Chiz, Jade?" Beck Oliver, for the first time in Tori, or Jade's, memory, showed a human sense of surprise as he stood there, watching the bodyguard try to make a discreet exit.

"You know her?" Tori asked.

"Crap!" Jade muttered. "Hey, Beck, look, I can't talk, I kinda work for security, and I need to stow my chiz and get patrolling. But hay, I'll see you around, kay?"

"Wait, you knew her?" Tori asked, again. Jealousy was boiling in her, twisting her guts in ways she didn't quite understand. "How do you know her?" The words were frozen, a stark contract to her earlier, warm emotions. "Jade, wait. I want to know, how the fuck do you know my boyfriend? Maybe you bodyguarded for him in the past, on one of his many trips to New York?" The pop star was begging with her eyes, asking it be true.

"No." Jade's voice was small, barely a whisper. "Way back in the day, before he was on American Voice, we kinda... dated." The last word had held on her tongue, like it didn't want to come out.

For several moment, it felt like no one moved. The crew, the dancers, not even the hotel staff or the personal assistants, everyone seemed to have frozen in their spots, like somehow moving would cost them a precious piece of the puzzle. But as the seconds ticked by, and Jade debating just not unpacking, or begging for her job, promising it was years ago and she was over it, until Tori finally spoke. "She was the big breakup you had just before you and I met, right?" Her words still left an icy trail as they found their targets.

"Look, babe, it was a long time ago.." Beck started.

"And it probably had something to do with the fight Jade got into, right?" Tori pushed.

"I can explain..." Beck tried.

'Wait, SHE knows…?' Jade thought. It took all her training not to let panic take over, as she forced herself to calm down.

"Beck ran into the guys girlfriend, and the guy tried to pick a fight." Trina cut in, seeming to come from nowhere. "Jade told me all about it. Jade, while smarting over the breakup, still couldn't just let him get his ass wiped, so she stepped in. She tried to explain it to me, in the way Beck does when he has to make things clear, that she was defending the girlfriend. A girl who wasn't being hit upon by Beck, but comforted after failing to make the cut, cause you know the kind of shit Milton says to the contestants." The older girl gave a half smile that said a lot of the shared history to the singer, and Beck.

Trina then continued. "But, long story short, Jade got kicked off the show, but doesn't regret it because she felt she had the lower chance of making it. It was a clean break, and while they didn't remain friends, it was because their lives were going in such different directions. Of course, they'd tell you, but they haven't seen one another in about ten years, and old issues not related to American Voice still haunt them. So yea, tension. But Jade's a pro, while Beck loves you, so they'll agree to set things aside and be civil for your benefit. Everyone good?"

Jade stood there, not believing the excuse Trina just made up on the spot, despite how believable it was. Trina really did lack talent, as far as she could tell. 'Her skills at manipulating the public's perception must not depend on her acting talents.' The bodyguard thought. 'Then again, they seem to be buying it.' And it seemed that everyone was.

"Yay, everything good." Tori chirped, giving a little clap as she did a quick happy dance.

Beck let out a held breath, not sure what had just happened, but glad that for once, Trina was there to cover his ass. He then quickly pulled out his best smile, and beamed at his girlfriend. It was time to pour on the charm and remind her he was the thing she'd been looking forward to most about Bermuda.

The whole gathering of performers and behind the scenes people were once again moving, gathering their stuff and getting settled for now in the hotel. It was like the whole past between Beck and Jade never happened.

Jade got her things together, grabbed a key from Cat, went to her room, and unpacked. Then, she repacked, only leaving a fair amount in the room. She'd need enough to last the five days of touring plus returning, and the raven haired girl hated waiting for the last minute. However, once that was done, she was free to relax and enjoy herself. 'I'm getting payed to relax, how lucky is that. Then again, Vega likes to go sightseeing, and we're the one's who have to go with her. I'd better be ready for it if, no when, something happens.'

She was brought out of her thoughts about preparing for the worst by a knock at the door. The bodyguard had no idea who it could be knocking, since she had her earpiece, with it charged and in range, so anything Trina or this Andre fella wanted could have been handled that way. Cautiously, she opened the door, only to be stunned by the sight of Beck standing there, a big smile on his face, and THAT look in his eyes. "God, Jade, I forgot how good you look." He almost moaned.

Old feelings rushed forward. The feelings, the love she had for him, despite his wandering eye, even the sense of loyalty she'd felt when she stepped in front of that monster of a man who was dating the far-too-young-for-him girl at the American Voice tryouts. Jade had known she was likely to be tossed out, lose her chance. However, she was also very aware of Beck's lack of fallbacks. If something happened to him, if the handsome Canadian transplant fought, got his face mashed, then he'd have nothing. And Jade could tell, just by looking at the huge man picking the fight, that permanent damage was the goal. Beck never stood a chance. Even Jade, as good as she was back then, wasn't sure how she'd fare against the man. Beck would have lost, been beaten to a bloody pulp, and probably be disfigured. That would never do. "Beck..." She stepped back, unconsciously, letting him step into her room.

"I was thinking, we could probably find some time, if you like, to remind ourselves just how good it used to be..." He pushed her door open, stepping into the room, only for the girl to move forwards, stopping him before he was all the way in. "Anxious, are we? But it's better if we're inside, with a bit of privacy."

Other feelings were now rushing into the one time goths mind, like the betrayal she'd felt from him when he broke up with her. The memory, him saying "You won't be on the tour, so it's better if we just see other people," stung her. She was already hurting, with a bruised rib to go with the other, lesser injuries she'd sustained, so the loss of her boyfriend over the fight felt like a low blow. Then, less that three weeks later, he was an item with this hot young Latina, a charismatic singer and the eventual winner, Tori Vega. That hurt was far fresher, and stronger, then the old love she'd held onto for years, despite him being more narcissistic then romantic. It gave her strength to resist his charms, and the old feelings they invoked.

"No." She hissed, pushing him with one hand, forcing him out of her room. "I'm a bodyguard now. I work for Vega. I can't be screwing around with her boyfriend behind her back." She insisted.

"I'm just suggesting a bit of harmless fun." The actor defended himself. "And if it's the job, I could always use a discreet bodyguard who understands the limits of our relationship."

"No, Beck." Jade insisted. "That Shapiro guys gunning for Vega, and he'll use anything against her. He already said he thought I was a story, and I'm not burning bridges. I need this to work again in the future."

Beck, now outside the room and marveling at how strong she'd gotten since they'd last met, only nodded. "Okay, then can we be friends?" He asked, offering a consolatory smile. It felt like he gave in too quickly.

"I'd like that." She breathed, unsure of her voice. Then, louder. "I'd like that." She smiled, watching his own smile broaden. Hastily, she added "I don't break confidentiality. I'm not spying on Vega for you."

His smile faltered, only for a moment, then returned. "Wouldn't dream of asking." He said, and only her deep experience with him allowed her to read him, and know he was lying.

"I think she's been missing you." Jade added. "Maybe you should go spend some time with her?"

"Maybe." Beck replied, taking a step away from the beautiful bodyguard. "I'll see you around." He added as he started walking away.

"Man, that boy is a charmer." Cat said, alerting Jade to her presence. Somehow, the small girl had been just a short distance away, in her own doorway across the hall, and no one had noticed it open just a crack. "Glad you were able to put that past of your behind you. I'd hate to think that someone I recommended could hurt Tori like that."

"About that," Jade started, looking at the girl standing in her doorway, "Why is it you have the room across from me? I mean, I'd think that the bodyguards would be clustered near one another, while you'd be near Trina, in case she wanted to talk to you about business."

"Ahh, but this is a vacation." The petite girl shot back. "Trina understands that we're here, in this tropical paradise, to enjoy the warm water and sunshine. Besides, I'm not that far from Trina. As you said, the bodyguards are near the big suites, and thats where Tori, Trina, and Beck are bunkered down."

"Speaking off..." The raven haired girl said as she noticed Trina and Andre walking down the short hallway from their rooms. Cat watched too, not letting any of this slip past her. She seemed to like knowing what was going on in a gossip-y kind of way.

The duo walked to Jade's room, and looked back and forth between the two girls. "Jade, can we come in for a moment?" Andre asked.

Jade stepped back and let them into her room. It was big enough for the three of them to each take a seat, although one of them was sitting on the nice chair and the other two were on the wooden chair and the foot rest. Andre looked nervously out the girls window, overlooking a the ocean. "Jade, I know that the story Trina gave isn't true. I'm here to find out the truth."

"Whats to tell." Jade said, not looking to happy about this visit. "Am I being sent home?"

"That depends on the truth." Dre emphasized. "Look, we didn't know everything about your part in Beck's past, but we knew most of it. He broke it off with his girlfriend of over two years so the producers wouldn't think badly of him if he started having some discreet fun with the groupies. Then he and Tori hooked up, and they've been together for a long time now. But the thing is, Beck does tend to wander, just a touch, and you have a history with him."

"Ask Cat about that." Jade deadpanned. Then, after seeing the confusion growing on her guests faces adding "She just saw him trying to talk his way into my room. Sad, I wanted to let him in. But when he dumped me, back then, he hurt me, in ways I'm still recovering from. But if this is about if we can coexist, then ya, I'm a professional. I won't let my feelings get in the way."

"Why were you in that fight?" Trina asked.

"Cause Beck couldn't have taken that guy, and that guy would have messed up Becks face just to make a point." Jade explained.

"Was Beck really just consoling her?" Andre asked.

"No." Trina replied. "Sorry, but even I know the boy has trouble staying committed."

"Did you really not have that great a chance?" Andre tried again.

"Not important." Jade replied. Not breaking eye contact with Trina.

"Jade, we're not sending you home, but while there here, maybe you should keep a little distance from Tori." Trina advised. "I'll suggest we swap bodyguards for the time we're in Bermuda, so she and Beck can have there fun and you won't be forced to watch your ex with his new girl."

"Thanks." Jade said, amazed she would go along with that recommendation. "Anything else? And thanks for believing me."

"I just wanted to be sure you could handle your ex being here." Trina said. "You've been a very good bodyguard, and I'm expecting more from you as we hit the rest of the world. Remember, in the middle east, you don't use intimidation, you let the guys do that, and only resort to force when necessary."

Jade nodded. Then three text alerts went off, letting her know that she, along with both Trina and Andre, had been sent texts. A quick read let them know that Tori was having a quick dance party at the pool, starting in ten minutes, and everyone was both invited and expected to show up. It was to celibate being so close tot he end of the first leg of the tour, as well as the nice resort. "Really, a dance?" She asked.

"Look at the dress code." Andre pointed out. "Sorry, but we're gonna have to find a way to be on duty in Bermuda shorts."

"Lucky you." Jade groused, checking her dress code. "Really, a bikini? I get less material to cover more ground."

"I'm looking forward to that." Andre muttered, only to be slapped, gently, by Trina.

"Better get changed, cause it looks like we have a party to attend." Trina said, smirking.

Andre added "It's for the best. It makes her happy, helps her relax, and we'll be heading from the pool party almost directly to the venue for tonight's performance, so it'll keep her relaxed, give us a better show."

"And they'd be okay with us traveling to sound check, or the show, in swimming suits?" The dark haired girl asked.

"Happens here all the time." Dre assured her. "All the time." They then left to let her get changed.

Jade just shrugged and went about getting changed. She had an appropriate suit, for in case she had some time off. After all, she was proud of her body, and she was a Jersey girl, so she felt okay showing it off, just a little. 'Besides, the suit was a gift.' She reminded herself. She usually chose one piece suits to preserve a bit of modesty. 'Like there's anything those suits hide. I mean really…' She thought as she grabbed a towel, her sunscreen, and everything else she would need. It didn't take long for her to get to the pool area, but by then the party was in full swing.

Andre had been ready, already dressed appropriately, from before the moment the text came in inviting everyone to this little dance. Trina sent him ahead to make sure the security was solid, as well as making sure the people showing up didn't got out of hand. While he was doing that, she was checking the timetables, making sure they had enough time for this dance, and would be able to make it to the show that evening on time. She also needed to get changed, meeting the dress code that had to come from Beck and not her sister. However, after checking the schedule, she found that everything tracked, with a good couple of hours or food, fun and then a race over for the sound check before the actual show.

Unlike most days, they'd have to go over the stage with the dancers and other performers, so everyone would know how to adjust the various dances that went with her songs. That required just a touch of extra time, as well as requiring everyone to be there. But for Dre, at the venue, this would be a chance to relax and see how security was doing while he was gone. He wasn't thinking about that too much as he settled in for a bit of fun before they had to go. 'Time enough to evaluate security when we get there.' He reminded himself.

The resort hadn't provided a DJ, just a place where someone could play music from a large selection on a computer. Dre assigned himself the DJ position, and stated having fun playing with the mixer, making his own beats. The one time musician enjoyed these rare moments of creativity. Slowly, the dancers and crew filed in, already getting down to the music he was playing. "Guys, we have a set already made, so the crew gets to stay here if you're not helping with the show in some way." The crew chief was saying. "I've posted who does what tonight, so everyone check that out, and those acting as extra security, check in with Ryder to see your assignments."

"No, we need all hands for extra security." Andre corrected the head roadie. "Sorry, but tonight, we all work. Then we go repeat in four other places before coming back here and really relaxing. And Ronda, nice suit. Please remember, there are no topless beaches on this island."

Tori was sitting with Beck, enjoying the music as well as the buffet style late lunch the resort had provided, impressive given the short notice. Andre had been watching her, making sure that the jerk of a boyfriend of hers didn't decide to talk her into doing it someplace public. This was not the place to try that kind of thing. For a resort island, they could be very repressed sometimes.

While what Andre had told Jade was true, it wasn't uncommon for entertainers to go straight to the show in beachwear, the locals were surprisingly puritan about dress. If they wanted to go someplace away from the beaches, or sightseeing, they'd need to put a bit more on. The only bus they could get away with being so scantly dressed was their own charted buss, with it's shaded windows.

Andre was caught in his own thoughts, when he noticed something that was a far bigger surprise then Beck's expected reaction to the various scantly clad girls. No, the big surprise for the dark skinned man was watching Tori's eyes when Jade made her appearance. The bodyguard was late, having sited the need to do a perimeter check, making sure the hotel security hadn't left any holes that would allow a threat, or paparazzi, to slip in and take advantage. It meant she'd be about ten minutes late, but also she'd be able to make an entrance, if she so chose. So when the raven haired girl walked into the pool area, walking in past the buffet in her blue bikini, everyone had the chance to see her. And in that moment, she looked dangerous, beautiful, and confident. Tori, it seemed, couldn't take her eyes of the girl. If Beck wasn't so busy undressing the bodyguard with his eyes, he'd have seen what looked like Tori doing the exact same thing.

'This just made things interesting….' Andre thought, fighting back an evil smile that threatened to replace the neutral one on his face.

Meanwhile, Robbie's spy at the resort was sending him a short video of Tori, and Beck's, reaction to Jade's appearance. It included a pan over from the raven haired girl walking in, only to glance over and see the two, both staring, with a hungry look on their eyes that screamed desire. Both performers quickly covered, but the video showed enough.

Later, after the video was seen, the spy would receive a text asking for more information. It wasn't proof, just hinting at both Beck's infidelities, something he'd been able to deny up until that point due to his skillful manipulation of events. The video did, however, also hint at Tori's interest in girls. The latter being of almost as much interest to the gossip monger as the former.

Text to Robbie: Then why hasn't she made a pass, or had a fling, with one of the dancers?

Text from Robbie, to spy: Because she's not that kind of girl. If we want to prove she's into girls, we need to break her and that jerkface up. Keep me posted.

Text to Robbie from the spy: Seriously, stop being so evasive and tell me your true feelings about Beck.:)

And in his office, in Los Angeles, the blogger laughed, sending a text that had nothing to do with either Beck or Tori.

The whole party, up until Trina started rounding people up, passing out complimentary sweatpants and shirts, Beck was next to Tori, acting all lovey and holding hands. The things he whispered in her ear sometimes made her blush, and more then once she slapped him lightly on the arm, clear signs that they were working up to renewing their acquaintance in a little while. Jade, who was watching the two of them, just pushed whatever jealousy aside and focused on her job. 'I'm protecting Vega, but from what I got from Beck's visit today, maybe I need to protect her from him…' She wondered. 'I'll have a talk with Trina tonight, during the concert.' Decided, she allowed herself to relax a bit before being handed a t-shirt and sweatpants, and being sent to help round up the others who might have wandered off.

That evening, as Tori was tearing it up on stage, Jade approached Trina. "Can we talk, in private?" she asked.

"This is as private as it gets." Trina replied. Malcolm made himself scarce, walking across the room to speak with Kasey. "So, as long as we don't make a big deal of it, and no one walks in on us, we're good.."

"Okay, there's something about Beck I'm kinda ashamed of.." The bodyguard started.

"He sleeps around like it's his job?" The older woman asked. "Did he do that to you? Man, I wish I'd known that back then. Might have stopped Tori from hooking up with him."

"So you know?" The blue eyed girl was stunned.

"Yea, I'm the one who has to clean up after him." Trina admitted. "He's getting better, but sometimes it feels like he enjoys making me talk to..." She took a deep breath. "I have a deal with Lucy Spiller, of Dirt magazine."

"Isn't it DirtNow?" Jade asked.

"It's still a sleazy tabloid, they just use that, the merger with the more legitimate Now magazine, to pay for a smidgen of honest journalism." Trina replied. "But I give her stuff, don't worry about what, and she makes sure Beck's liaisons are never major news. Now, as Tori's bodyguard, it's your job to keep these things secret. I know you might hate him… Do you?"

"Hates a strong word." The bodyguard replied. "Strongly dislike with lingering feelings of love. That, and a desire to rip his manhood off and feed it to a shark."

"Okay, don't let it get to you that he's nailing Tori." Trina finished. "I'd have her on an IUD, but I'm worried about the diseases he's carrying around. So he and Tori are together, for ten fucking years now, and the public is wondering why they haven't tied the knot. But he won't sign a prenup, and I'm not giving him half of everything just to break her heart."

"Maybe she could survive the breakup?" The raven haired girl asked. "If you managed it right?'

"Then he spills." Trina replied. "Besides, Tori doesn't know it was an act, and I think she really loves him. I'm stuck in a mess of my own making. But, thats not our problem. Not right now. You just make sure you don't let this get to you, and while we're here, I'll be using you as my bodyguard. That cool?"

"Yes ma'am." The other girl said, turning to watch the stage. 'It's all an act? Why does that make sense, at least on Beck's part? Never was the one girl type, so yea, it makes a lot of sense. Poor Tori…'

After the performance, the whole gang retreated to the hotel, where the crew settled in for a relatively early night. There was no after party for the show, not when they'd be flying out in the morning. Even the crew played it safe, kept the drinking to a minimum. And while there were local power players who wanted to congratulate Tori, they'd wait until the party just before the tour left for Europe. So instead, Tori and her people went back to the hotel and settled in for a long nights sleep.

Trina was annoyed to receive half a dozen texts from Jade that night, only to become enraged when she saw what the bodyguard was forwarding. "Okay, the dick pics could be anyone, but did he have to text a picture of him with Tori, naked?" The manager complained to the air. It was a side of Beck even she hadn't dealt with, often not wanting to know the extent of his depravities when she let Lucy deal with the cover up.

The next morning, it was hard to get Tori up. She'd spent the night pleasing a boyfriend who wasn't going with them. Not on this four plus day tour of the other islands. So they left early, to have time for a little fun, and in case the weather in the Caribbean was rough, causing delays. "Come on Vega, do I have to carry you?" Jade asked as she helped the near comatose starlet to the chartered bus.

"Sorry, Beck, I just didn't mean to scream. I just don't like the pain." Tori whimpered, still half asleep. It was low, something only Jade could hear cause she was holding the girl. "But if it makes you happy, I'll try again. Please, just say you love me. I'll be whatever you want, just say you love me. Please..."

"She's not dressed." Trina pointed out from across the bus. Tori was still in her pajamas, obvious to anyone looking. "Jade, once we take off, if you can, I'd like for you to take her someplace and get her changed."

"There's plenty of room In the luggage compartment." The bodyguard said, watching the starless. 'Come on, Vega, what did he do to you?'

With Bills help, they managed to get Tori onto the plane and into her seat. The girl whimpered some more, but didn't protest so much as silently cry, just a touch. It was almost unnoticeable, but totally heartbreaking. Something was hurting the girl.

:}

So, now we know Jade's relationship with Beck and Tori. You guys, some of you called it. But why oh why is Tori so out of it, and what kind of monster is her boyfriend? Guess well see, soon enough.

Review, cause I want you too. (Hay, it seems to work for four year olds. And some politicians.)


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Still don't own. Those who do seem okay with me playing with their characters, as long as I make no money.

:}

After takeoff, the weather was calm enough for people to move about, so Jade helped Tori to her feat. Then they made their way down to the luggage compartment so they could get Tori changed into something from the her day bag. But as Jade did so, something on the pop princesses back caught her attention. It seemed that the singers entire back was covered in bruises and reddened marks, shallow cuts not like scratches, but the type left after being beaten with something. 'He..' Jade couldn't think of what he'd done to her, but knew she needed to know more. Checking the pop princesses phone, which the bodyguard could unlock, she saw new pictures of Tori, wearing a choker tight enough to make her agreeable to anything, while Beck was striking her with a multi-tailed flogger of some sort.

'That bastard!' She thought, sending a text to Trina. She then found a fist aid kit and started treating the wounds.

"What's so important." The manager asked as she descended into the luggage compartment, Andre and Ryder in toe. They stopped as they saw where Tori was laying, her back still exposed, while Jade was applying some kind of medicinal ointment. "Shit! He promise me he was just experimenting, that it wouldn't happen again."

"He's done this before?" Jade asked, receiving a curt nod. She continued. "From what I got listening to her mumbling, she doesn't seem to like it. But she does it for him. I swear, I'm ripping his nuts off when I see him again."

"I warned you." Ryder said, looking peeved. "Becks only doing this cause he feels powerless, like she's in the better position or something due to her successes. I knew he'd do anything to make himself feel superior."

"There's more, and it's on her phone." The blue eyed girl said, showing Trina the pictures.

"Great, we'll talk to Tori about this later." The older sister said. "Until then, Jade, watch her. She's your responsibility until we go to sound check. Make sure she can perform."

"But she's hurt..." Jade protested.

"She's hurt, but Beck's not stupid." Andre chimed in. "She'll mostly recover by showtime. And Trina, I'll watch over her." His mouth opened to continue, but he was cut off.

"No, your not officially back on the tour yet." Trina said. "You can be with her, as a friend, but Jade's responsible. And Jade, that bastards good at getting Tori to agree to shit, so she was technically a willing participant. We don't do crap to him. But I'm gonna have a long talk with him, let him know this doesn't happen again."

Trina left them to finish taking care of Tori for the rest of the flight, asking only that Andre and Jade make sure Tori gets plenty of rest for the next few days. 'Superficial wounds, but it affects what she can wear for the next few days, and that hurts the image. Why didn't Phillip want to use the jerk in one of those mindless action films? He's a descent stage fighter, and he knows how to dance. He's a natural.' She wondered again

Her phone was in her hand, waiting for the other end not pick up. "Lucy, it's Trina, where the hell did Beck learn how to use a whip?"

"He frequents a brothel in Nevada, lots of S&M shit there." The magazine editor said. "Place is a favorite of a lot of Nevada political players, so even we would be hesitant to profile what goes on there."

"Fucking perfect." Trina bitched. "He went all S&M on Tori, hurt her, nothing permanent, but I'm left rethinking our arrangement." She knew her arrangement with the gossip editor would keep this secret safe.

"Pity, he's such an eager little snitch." The other woman replied. "But I'm not surprised. We can help a celebrity get back on track, but we're no substitute for talent, or good choices in their projects. Beck always had the talent… But you, Trina, you've been good for us too, helped out more then you'd know."

"Can it, I know Shapiro's grown out of control." The manager was short, angry. "He's after Tori, and I'm worried about how much of your secrets he knows."

"Only what I feed him." Lucy assured her. "Look, I admit he's a better journalist then I ever gave him credit for, and he has someone keeping an eye on your tour. But he's not keeping secrets from me, which is how I know Tori's new bodyguard is Beck's ex, from before he was on American Voice."

"So, thats not a story." Trina said, still fuming.

"It is, the beginning of a breakup story." The editor said. "You're so good at painting narratives, think about this. Beck's infidelities, we pretend that someone everyone can hate was responsible for cleaning that up, then we expose his cheating. Blame it on the new guard, say she was acting to protect the star. I'll bet there are plenty of things she can tell you about what kind of boy the man was."

"No, I'm not ruining her career, not just to hurt Beck." The Latina declared. "No, I've always played everything as upbeat as I can, hiding the ugly underbelly of Hollywood from Tori, while making it seem like she's just that perfect innocent who made it through hard work and talent. No, we go another way. You can keep your fucking snitch, and protect him if you like. I'm out. I'm gonna have my people draft an announcement that Tori and Beck have grown apart, and that while she still loves him, their careers just got in the way. Neither wants the other to give up their dream, and since neither can spare the time, they agreed to part amicably."

"And how are you gonna convince your sister of that?" Lucy asked.

"By hurting her, and having Jade tell her just what kind of boy Beck was." Trina said, her voice falling. "Tell Shapiro that anything he finds on Beck, he has to make sure it doesn't blow back and hurt Tori."

"Pity, it would have been a hell of an issue." Miss Spiller griped, then said her farewells.

Trina next called Beck. "Beck, how're you enjoying the vacation?'"

"Wasn't sure I could spare the whole ten days, but now I think I'm gonna have fun here." The actor said, and she could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I saw what you did to Tori." Trina growled. "Jade wants to rip your dick off."

"Let her try." The boy said, sounding very confidant.

"You have a good bodyguard who can stop her?" The Latina asked. "I have Andre, I could send her back on the next flight."

"Trina, you seem to forget my charms with the opposite sex." He gloated. "I got Tori to agree to playing a little rough, and she hates the pain. I can Talk Jade outta anything."

"Then I'll just have her deliver my message in person." The manager said, smirking. "Then lets see how you react. I'll even pay her for her time in prison, for assault, and I'm assuming a minor amount of damage to your body, since it isn't that big."

"You tell her this is part of the British commonwealth, so their sentencing is vastly longer then in the U.S. She'd spend years in prison." He sounded nervous now. Trina almost smiled at him not being so cocky any more..

"Then I'll tell you now." She took a deep breath. "I can't have you hurting Tori, not any more. You were told the rules, and yet you hurt her."

"Why didn't Phillip call me?" He asked.

"He doesn't like you." Trina shot back. "I had Cat call to make arrangements, and she said he wouldn't talk to her once your name came up. I've exerted every ounce of my influence with him, everything short of giving him a hand job, but he won't budge. Besides, we both know how nonsexual that freak of nature is. But the point I'm making is, I'm sorry, I have no idea what you did to piss him off, but I can't help you." Her voice hardened as she prepared for what comes next. "However, for taking it out on Tori, and risking the entire tour, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to let you go."

"Like Tori could let me go." He scoffed.

"She will, cause I'm gonna have Jade tell her what she told me, about how many times you cheated on her. Then, every rumor, no matter how well disproved, will haunt her." Then the older sister shifted tactics. "This way, you two just drifted apart, and your still good friends. Cross me, and I'll tell everything I know to Robbie, and let him loose on you. However, and I say this carefully, he may still find out about that ranch in Nevada, the one where you go to learn how to whip girls and make then beg for mercy, just to feed your ego."

"I don't take well to threats." Beck growled.

"And I don't like that I let such a beast be that close to my sister for ten fucking years." Trina growled back. She was holding her voice down, keeping the call as private as possible. "Look, it's not a bad career move for you, probably hurts Tori's image more then yours. She'll just have to find another someone to love, while you'll be able to spend some time being a swinging bachelor. Enjoy the spotlight."

"Okay, you talk her into it, and I'll go along." Beck said, but it was obvious he wasn't going down without a fight.

After finishing her call, the manager made her way up to the passenger section, checking on her sister and making sure everyone was settled in. "Okay, Ryder, Andre, Jade, I need to talk to you, privately. I need someone to watch over Tori while we're having this meeting. Bill, Ron, you're on."

"No." Jade cut in. "If this is about security, they should be involved. We have a plane full of people with a vested interest in making sure she's okay. If this isn't about security, then yes, they should be here." The boss gave her a dark look. "Just thinking about including the core security team."

"It involves them, but not right now." Trina said, glaring at the raven haired girl. "Right now, it mostly involves you."

They made their way to the cargo section, for the privacy. "You don't have the time in to be talking back to Trina like that." Ryder was scolding her. Andre, it seemed, was talking to Trina in low tones.

Once out of earshot, and they'd made sure the stewards weren't listening in, Trina began. "Jade, I get that you take security very seriously, and you're sticking up for your crew, but NEVER challenge my authority in front of the whole crew again. Got that?" The taller girl nodded. "Good, you're job, for the next four days, is to watch over Tori and help her heal. That, and telling her the kind of boyfriend Beck was to you. I believe you mentioned he cheated on you?"

"I never said that." Jade stated. "But yea, all the fucking time. Sorry, I forgot, no swearing."

"We swear, just not in front of Tori. It just upsets her." The older girl said. "Was he trying to hit on that girl, the one who's boyfriend you got in a fight with?"

"Yep, but he only wanted her for the sex. He has this thing about power. He loved being around powerful girls, but hates that they hold power over him. I think its cause his mother was and is a powerful woman who earned the money in the home, and his father always felt emasculated by that." Jade was watching the walls as she spoke, memories of the Oliver house coming back. "Becks mom's family was from India, by way of Canada, and his father had assumed she'd be docile and submissive. But the woman wound up earning most of the families money. Somehow Beck believed her family, that his father wasn't really a man because he stayed home and raised the kids. I think, for Beck, he has a lot to prove. I'm sorry he's such a dick. You'd think his mother earning the cash would have made him more of a feminist."

"Depends on how she was at home." Andre cut in. "If she resorted to being submissive, maybe with a sharp edge to remind her husband she was the provider of the family, then Beck would have a lot of hate for girls who stand up for themselves. I'm not able to speak for him, just, I'll bet they hated you."

"His dad seemed to like me, but I think it was cause I was so afraid of losing Beck that I let him get away with cheating on me, showing a lot of jealousy, but always forgiving him. I guess that his dad felt I would put up with whatever Beck wanted. And Beck wanted to be the man."

"And thats what you need to convince Tori of, that Beck is still that little boy playing at being a man." Trina instructed.

"So Beck's out?" Ryder asked. "I just need to know so I know what I'm drinking tonight. Champlain, maybe, with a bit of dancing."

"You didn't like Beck?" Jade asked.

"He's charming as hell, but never be the hired help around him." Andre said.

"I'm privy to a lot of Trina here's venting." Ryder added. "I know the kind of bastard he is. I never liked him, cause he reminded me of me. Except, I'd have happily been a kept man, sneaking shit on the side, if I got Beck's deal. Taken care of for the rest of my life? Who wouldn't."

"You, in high school." Trina said, smirking. "Look, I get why each of you might not like him, but we have to work this right. He knows a lot that could hurt us, so we keep him safe, and he doesn't hurt us in return. Jade, you and Andre will help Tori get over him, and then we'll find her a new man."

"No!" This time it was Andre, who had the right to talk back in private. "Tori is in love with that jerk, who, might I add never treated me bad, just her. But she's in love, and is gonna need time to recover before we set her up again. And Trina, let me have a vote in the setup. I know what she likes, and can help make sure this mistake will be better then the last one."

"Agreed." The manager said. "Go back and try to enjoy the last moments of the flight. Jade, talk to her, be discreet, but slowly admit how bad Beck was to you."

"Working on it." The bodyguard said, and went back to her seat. 'How the hell do I tell Tori her boyfriend is a jerk?'

By the time They landed Tori was feeling only marginally better. The flight hadn't been set up for people to sleep, or even lay down, and it certainly didn't have the sleeper options set up for her to recline and get comfortable, so she'd had to sit in her seat, pushed back as far as it would go, and try to get relaxed against a seat that wasn't set up for napping. She'd found it difficult due to the pain radiating from her back. She needed to be able to recline, lay on her side, but without that option, it wasn't happening.

The drive to the hotel was worse, in it's own way, then the flight. The seats didn't move nearly as much, were a touch harder, and the bus bounced on the road. Tori endured, trying not to be a burden, but her bodyguards and management were now hyper aware of every flinch and shift she made trying to be comfortable, or relieve the pain she was feeling.

Once they got her to the hotel and checked in, they rushed her to her room, almost as quickly as they could get the key. For Tori, it was yet another layer of torture, not being able to meet with her fans. But it was obvious she hadn't rested well, either on the trip or the night before. "Rest until we come get you for the sound check." Trina instructed. "Kasey, your with me. Jade'll get her whatever she needs." She never told Jade to take care of Tori, she just knew the girl would.

They didn't speak, not at first. Jade figured it would be better to let Tori nap, be there for her, until they got the call asking them to get her ready for the sound check. There was an interview scheduled, but due to health concerns they had to cancel. Trina had expected their would be rumors, rumors that would persist once the news of her and Beck breaking up made it out to the public, but for now they made their excuses and hoped the fans would understand.

That evening, Tori's performance, while still good, lacked her usual energy. Her dancers seemed to sense that something was wrong, and they did what they could to make up for it. Her support people also saw that things weren't quite normal, offering every bit of help and encouragement along the way. They knew she wasn't feeling well, and wanted to make sure she was cared for as much as possible. They all could tell that Tori was hurting, just enough to have effected her performance.

After the show, Tori wanted to go see her fans. Late as it was, she wanted to go see them, be with them, feel their love. But she was hurting too much to give them the time. Instead, she went back to the hotel and went to bed, crying herself to sleep over what she couldn't do for her fans. She'd felt guilty over not giving them her time. She felt bad that they didn't get that precious moment of her time that she felt was so little to give, but to so many meant the world. Just like it had meant the world the first time she was in the presence of one of her childhood idles.

It wasn't until he next day, on the plane, with Andre safely next to her, that Jade felt safe to broach the subject of Beck with the injured pop princess. She'd waited for a moment when it was just the three of them, stretched out and relaxed, to start. She leaned in closer to Tori, so their voices could stay low, and said "I'm worried about something."

"This, it's nothing." Tori said, hand gesturing to her body. "I wanted to try something, and it didn't work out the way I wanted. You know, after ten years, you have to work to put a little excitement back in the old romance." She gave a convincing smile. If they hadn't seen her, over the last twenty four hours, hurting both physically and emotionally, Jade might even have believed the girl.

"Look, as much as I'm wazzed off about that…." Jade was cut off.

"Beck uses that term, a lot." Tori said in an attempt to avoid the discussion. "And what the holy heck is chiz?"

"Some kind of cheese, I think." Jade replied. 'Lets see if I can't redirect this back.' Jade thought as she elaborated. "We used it when fuck or shit wouldn't do. What the chiz, chiz just got real, who the chizzing hell cares. That kind of shit. But thats really not what I wanted to talk to you about. What I wanted to discuss, well, it's something I was hoping had changed, and I would never have to tell you. But Cat saw, and so I'm worried that you'll find out without hearing my side of things. I didn't even let him into my room. I said we could talk in the hall. I didn't want to give him an excuse." She felt weak, not coming out and saying what Beck wanted, but it was better in her mind to approach this delicately. 'Vega's already endured so much for him, best not to challenge that yet.' She wasn't ready for the almost immediate reply.

"So he tried to talk you into blowing him?" Tori asked, suddenly very hurt. "What, you think I'm stupid? The rumors, there are always rumors. Most successful men and women have rumors. Infidelity, cheating, there's always someone accusing them, mostly men, of stepping out. It's just, Beck, he has a hell of a lot more. I've suspected for a while now. I mean, Robbie may have it out for him, but he's not the sours of most of those rumors. Boy's far to happy to report them, elaborate, but he's not the source."

She held back a tear, holding up a hand so she could finish speaking. "You have to understand, us, Beck and I, we got together as kids. Neither of us knew what we were in for. I had my career, and he has his. It's hard to make things work. I know, I've tried so hard. But then this chiz keeps coming up. So I forgive him, and do what I can to show him I love him."

"By letting him beat you, flog you, until you're no longer able to perform?" Jade asked. "Tori, he's always had a problem with strong girls. He loves em, wants to be with them, but he's chiz at dealing with it when they do better then he does. Do you wanna know why I don't sing any more? I mean, other then getting myself blacklisted from acting, by some casting director, after I reacted to his suggestion I put out by threatening to cut his balls off." There was a dangerous smile, just for a second, on the bodyguards lips. Then her face got serious. "I stopped singing when he kept telling everyone he was the most likely of our group, the gang that auditioned together, to make it. Back then, I was a far better singer then he was. But he hated that about me. He hated everything he felt I had over him, like how I was training to fight, could hurt people, and was the heavy among our friends. He hated that I could do so many of the things he liked to think were the mans job. But I had to let that go, singing, along with my old feelings of hate and envy, so I could focus on moving on. I just wish the money wasn't there in underground cage fighting..."

"So what are you saying, other then it's a good thing you got control of that temper." Tori asked, still looking like a wounded puppy. She'd shifted to laying (Across several seats) with her head in Jade's lap, looking up at her. "Are you suggesting he'll keep cheating on me?"

"No mater how good a girlfriend you are, yea, he'll keep cheating on you." Jade replied. "Back in the day, he wasn't half as bad a jerk as he is now, and he cheated on me. Even when I ignored it, or tried to be a better, more submissive girlfriend, he cheated. So in the end, as much as it hurt, him breaking up with me was the best thing to happen to me. I just wish I wasn't tossed off of American Voice."

"Sing for me." Tori cooed.

"I'm way outta practice." The bodyguard objected. "And you gotta let him go. It's whats best for you."

"Doesn't matter, Beck and I are more then a couple, we're an image." Tori lamented.

"But you can talk to your sister, maybe find a way to break it off that doesn't hurt either of you." Jade was surprised to hear Andre chime in. "Tori, I know you love him, but from what I can tell, hearing what Jade has to say, he's been changing, and not for the better." The man shifted just a scoot closer to his friend and client. "I'm thinking, you may need to give him the freedom, just to see if that helps him grow up, or lets him continue on the path he's been on. Either way, I agree with Jade here. Those wounds, minor as they are, are the last staw. I'm not letting you become an abuse spouse, constantly blaming yourself for when your hubby goes bonkers and hurts you. My momma was an abused spouse. Trust me, it's not fun."

"You're mother..?" Tori muttered, sitting up. "I never..."

"I lived with my grandma, my dad's mother, and no one ever asked me why?" He complained. "Thing was, my grandpa, on my mom's side, he was an abuser, and so when my dad turned out not to be what my mom was looking for, she high tailed it out to a man who believed in using force to get what he wanted. Called it being old school. And dad, he knew that there was good money being made up north, way up north, where men worked in towns made just for the oil industry, or catching food that was more hazardous to catch then to eat. Thats where he was, paying for me and gran to have a nice life while my mom sought out the kind of men who she felt showed her the proper affection. Dad risked his life, so my mom could be some duds punching bag. Now that ain't right."

"I-I'm sorry?' Jade tried.

"For what? Not knowing? Thing is, for every jerk like Beck, to whom hurting girls is a newish thing, there are hundreds of them who learned from someone that this is how you treat a lady." Dre explained. "And Tor, for the record, he was abusive to me, my stepdad, but only when I broke his lame ass rules or tried to stand up for my mom. The rest of the time, he could be almost okay. They, dad and gram, they moved me as much so I wouldn't grow up to be like him as for my own safety. Sad, I haven't spoken to my mom in over six years..."

Tori had pulled her one time body guard into a hug. "Are you okay?" She asked. "Do you need help? Maybe me to set you up with someone who you might have a lasting relationship with?"

Jade cringed at Tori's suggestion. "Thats okay, Tori, I'm good. I'll keep dating whats available, as long as these tours are my bread and butter. Maybe, along the line, I'll talk to Trina about a different job, but for now, I like my life. I'm seeing the world, working with people I like, and hell, I'm figuring that whole DJing thing out. Who knows what I'll wind up doing. Just, let me be your shield, for a while longer. Okay?" The dark skinned man said, hugging the starlet back. "So, you realize that Beck needs to be set free, right?"

"Yes, mother." The singer said, rolling her eyes. "I get it."

"No you don't." Jade chimed in. "He may know it's the right thing to do, but he won't do it. You see, he's manipulative, likes to control things. He'll try to talk you into staying, being with him longer. And you know what? You'll agree. Just because he's hurt you once, cost you that time with your fans you keep telling me is the best part of being on tour, you'll still go back to him once he turns on the charm. No, it's better if you guys have a clean break. Don't worry about being strong. Andre, right?" He nodded. "Andre and I will be here for you the entire time. Just, you relax, let yourself cry. It may hurt, but you'll feel so much better at the end of this. Promise." She gave her best sympathetic eyes, a skill she wasn't sure she even had any more. 'Whens the last time I showed sympathy for anyone? Not important. We'll be able to keep her safer now, with her all mopy and missing him.'

They got to the next island, and Tori was sad all the way to the hotel. Then, as if by magic, she cheered up, demanding to spend some time posing with her fans, showing what love she could in the fifteen minutes her bodyguards let her be that exposed. Then once safely in her room, she reverted again to the morose girl who was letting go. "I really don't get it?" She asked. "Why was it so hard to love me? I know, I have a lot of fame. Made a lot of money. But I saw what others went through as they got rich, losing their roots, and I made sure not to lose my home town values. So why couldn't Beck love me?" She whined, crying and throwing her pillow, only to diligently tidy things up again before her next bout of doubt filled tantruming.

Jade had watched the cycle a couple of times, trying to understand what kind of person cleaned up after a breakdown, only to have yet another one. 'Maybe she just needs to break chiz. I could find a lamp or two...'

"Tori, its not you, it's him." Andre tried. The bodyguards were all watching her while she worked through things before the sound check.

"Wrong approach." Ryder chimed in. Trina was absent, busy making sure all the pieces were in place so the show would go down with as little drama as possible. "One thing I learned from being a user, is that some people just need to be heard. You can try to fix everything later. Just let her be heard, and let her heal. Crying is good for that, assuming it's the right crying."

"Girls are crazy." Jade commented, watching her client cycle through the pain one more time. "Do you think it'd help if we got more pillows?" She absorbed the icy glares off all the people in the starlets room, including the singer, before everyone went back to watching the pop princess tearing the room apart, in as careful a way as possible so as not to damage anything.

Tori was able to pull herself together by sound check, and made conversation with her dancers as they got ready for that evenings performance. "Hay, Jade, do you know why we schedule a tour here before going to Europe?" She asked.

"Um, to make money?" The blue eyed bodyguard guessed. It was freaky, how cheery the singer seemed to be. Only Trina, Ryder and Andre knew what a front she was putting up.

"No, silly, to give our sets time to get to Europe." The pop star said. "We sent the sets by boat, and it takes a few days. Then they have to be set up in transports, and the whole thing practiced being packed and unpacked to make sure everything is right. We then show up, and just go. A full show, with props and sets, for us to use all throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Of course, I hate the costumes we'll have to use in some parts of the world, but they have modesty laws."

"Wait, we're going to places that have modesty laws?" Jade wondered.

"Well, we have a whole set of things we have to do to play those countries, but hay, it's my fans, and I love giving them the chance to see me. You'll see, once we get there. The weirder it gets, the weirder it gets. Also, I think we have a couple of USO shows planed. That'll be a trip."

Sighing. "The things you do for one hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year." Jade griped.

"It'll be fine." Andre assured her. "We've done this for years. Trust me, Trina has this. Or she mostly does. In some countries, she has to hire an interpreter to speak for her. Not that they don't speak English, but it lets them deal with a man, and pretend it's not a slight on anyone."

"They're gonna so love me..." Jade groans.

:}

So, that was that. We found out a bit more about Beck, and a bit about Andre. Think that'll help Tori get over him? I think she'll need a bit more time. Also, I loved how Tori tantrumed.

Review, cause why not? I wanna know your thoughts, if you liked this, and who's a fan of this Beck. Just, you know, review. I'll see you next time, and thanks.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own.

:}

Despite the bad feelings she was getting from the looming middle eastern leg of their tour, Jade managed to enjoy the days of travel from one island to the next, watching her employer performing, and making sure the starlet was well protected as she went out to see her fans. 'After all, we have all of Europe to go before we get there.' The bodyguard reasoned. 'Besides, we have to focus on helping Tori get stronger, cause I know Beck, and I suspect he's not done yet. He's charming, and he knows it.'

Andre moved in as the coordinator of the security force, making sure that everyone was communicating, while acting as an extra pair of eyes, and in general being the layer between Jade and Trina. He was taking an interest in the young woman, watching her as she spoke to the various people when she had to, usually to get them to back of of Tori so the singer could give everyone their time.

'She adapts well enough.' He thought. 'And she's gotten a few concessions out of Tori too. Like how she has Bill right there to pull Tori away any time she tries to exceed the time limit we put on her, how long she can interact with her fans. And Jade's managed to convincing Tori to let her check people out a bit before letting them into touching range. Overall, I'd say they have an interesting relationship. Lets see where that goes.' A smile formed on his lips before he turned his attention t the line of people, watching for anything that might be a threat.

By the time they finished mini tour of the Caribbean and headed back to Bermuda to relax, the damage Beck had inflicted on Tori was already healing. The bruises were receding, and Tori was moving about much more freely. That was good, giving the crew a feeling that everything was going to be all right. Now, in paradise, it was time for the vacation part of the tour. However, there was talk of adding another show on the island. "I thought she was taking time to relax?" Jade griped to Andre, while Trina sat, just out of reach, refusing to speak to the bodyguard except through channels.

"And she will relax." Andre assured the raven haired girl. "She claims it's so she can give more to her fans, But I think she wants to do something so she won't be thinking of Beck the entire time she's here."

"She'd be better off just kicking him outta the resort and maybe making a dart board of his picture." Jade said, looking out the window of the plane. They were en-rout to the island, and their promised break.

"They're presenting this as an amicable breakup." Trina said, surprising everyone. The older girl had worked hard to put up the barrier, mostly so Andre could be seen as the head of security. 'No one goes over his head, not with security matters.' Trina had vowed, once again, to herself.

"So he gets four fucking days to try and worm his way back into her life?" The female bodyguard growled.

"Now your problem." Trina assured her. "Other then weeping duty, which none of the others want, you're not Tori's bodyguard for the next four days. Don't worry, I'll keep you plenty busy."

"So no break for the wicked, huh?" The goth asked, smiling.

"You'll have your time off." The older girl said. "I don't have that much planned. Just, you know, enough. And, I'm trying to keep you away from Beck as much as possible. Let Andre handle the Tori stuff, cause he's her friend, and that way Beck won't blame you for the breakup. Besides, as Ryder can tell you, I'm loads of fun." Jade blushed, just a touch. "Oh god, he told you, didn't he?" The manager added quickly.

"Just a bit." Jade said. "Maybe more then I wanted."

"Look, whats between Ryder and me, that strictly personal. Not part of the job." Trina said.

"Not judging, just, you know, being a bit embarrassed." The blue eyed girl shook her head, clearing the image from her mind. "I knew what you meant, it's just, knowing what I know, and you being so much fun…."

"I don't sleep around." The manager said coldly. "I need trust to let go, enjoy myself. I just sometimes need the release. And Ryders really good. You should have taken him up when he offered."

"I don't want to confuse our relationship." Jade said, and the older girl smiled.

"We'll continue this discussion later, we're almost there. Someone make sure Tori's belted down." Trina said, looking out the window. It would be another ten minutes before they got to Bermuda. "And jade, there isn't enough time to add another show. We'd need days, if not weeks, to set that kind ti thing up. No, we're just gonna relax."

The flight landed on time, and everyone filed out to the charter bus they had waiting for them. Trina stood at the head of the bus once it was full, with a microphone in hand, linking her to the buses speaker system. "Okay, everyone, it's like this. You wanna see the island, maybe sample some of the local color, we'll have tours set up for you to go out and do that. But I'm not going to have you wandering around unsupervised, not with the level of prudes these people are. But the beach, the one next to the resort, it's ours, and while you still can't be nude, or show too much skin, enjoy that beach, and the other amenities of the resort. Jade, I'll be heading into town a couple of times while were here, and I'll need you to come with. That cool?"

"Yes ma'am." Jade barked.

"Okay, lets have some fun, and for the love of god, relax. This is the scheduled break." Trina said to everyone, but was focusing on the blue eyed girl.

Beck was waiting for them, and made his move almost as soon as they got back tot he resort. He had flowers, and his best sad face. "TORI! TORI!" He called out to her, swimming against the stream of dancers and crew who were pushing out from the bus.

"Beck." Tori called back, loud but not shouting. The met, and he gave her the flowers, a bouquet of local flowers that looked just tropical enough. She smiled back at him, not surer what to say as he looked deep into her eyes.

"Tori, I know we've had our problems, but say it isn't so." He said, begging with his eyes. "Tell me you haven't grown apart from me, that you're gonna be there for me."

'Damn, he''s casting himself as the victim.' Jade, and Trina, realized at the same time.

"Beck, a word." Trina called out to him.

"Look, I can change, make more time for you. Just, give me another chance." He continued.

It looked like Tori was eating it up, wavering in her resolve to let Beck go. "Beck..." She tried. The girl just didn't have any words.

"Beck, it's over." Andre said in a low tone. "She may forgive you, maybe today, but trust me, I can convince her to let go."

"So your the one trying to take her away from me?" Beck growled back, keeping his voice low. The thing about such low talk was that either person could deny they ever said anything, so it would be one persons word against the others. Beck loved those moments, used them all the time to hurt people he didn't like. But Andre, the man was a stand up guy, and Beck sorta respected him. Also, there were enough others to confirm or confuse whatever Andre said. He'd wait, and if the bodyguard would up too close to Tori, he'd accuse her of having an affair.

"My mother was abused, and I've been downloading pictures for Tori to review." The head bodyguard warned. "Trust me, I can make her understand just how fucked up you've allowed yourself to become. You're famous, have a great career. Go date someone lower on the food chain then you are. It'll help you regain your sanity."

Beck was about to reply, say just about anything, when he was yanked back away from Tori and dragged to where Trina was setting up shop. Jade had decided to make it as innocuous as possible, wrapping an arm around him even as she grabbed something, some piece of flesh she could twist to get her way. In case there was a camera near by, watching them, it would look like and overly friendly girl had snagged him and was escorting him to Trina. Only those involved knew how much it would hurt the actor if Beck decided not to cooperate.

However, once inside the sun screen, and out of view of whatever camera he'd set up, she tossed him into the chair Trina had had waiting for him. "Consider yourself lucky I'm not allowed to take souvenirs." Jade growled.

Beck spoke to Trina. "Okay, I'm here, call your dog off."

"We'd agreed on a mutual breakup." The manager said, looking pissed.

"I hadn't agreed to anything." Beck spat. "You think I'm just gonna give up on Tori, cause you think dating me is holding her back?"

"Keep this up, and I'll spend the money to find out where you learned how to use a whip." The olde girl warned.

"You don't scare me." He proclaimed as he stood up. Jade's hand was on his shoulder, pushing him down again. "Okay, she kinda scares me, but not you." He added. "Jade, what the chiz happened to you? You were violent, but never like this. I remember a time when you..."

"When I'd do anything for you?" Jade asked. "I've had ten chizzing years to process what happened. Ten years to think about how easily you jettisoned me from your life. Face it, Beck, I don't owe you crap."

"Is she what turned you against me?" Beck asked Trina. "Or maybe she got to Tori, been feeding her lies."

"Beck, I know the truth about you." Trina cut him off. "I can have that become common knowledge, easy as anything. But as I'm sure you've figured out, hurting you just hurts me. This is better. A mutual decision, where you realize what you had just isn't working out. Those pictures you no doubt had taken, just now, they'll work. Just the narrative needs to be different. It's you telling her that you love her, but this isn't working out. She'll be saying that as much as it hurts, she agrees, and is hoping for a face to face, later, where you can both talk things out. Now, if I were you, I'd take the deal. I don't know how much damage your reputation can take, but I'm willing to go dirty if I have to, just to protect Tori."

Beck glared at her, and opened his mouth, only for Trina to add "It wasn't Jade that got to Tori, it was Andre. You know his mother was abused, right? Guess there are some things he cannot forgive."

"I never asked her to do anything abusive." Beck protested. "I just thought it would spice things up."

"So Tori gets her turn with the whip?" Jade asked. The bodyguard gave an apologetic look at Trina, but the older girl just shrugged it off.

"Please, Jade, we both know it takes time to master using a whip and not leaving deep, lasting wounds." Beck said. "So maybe I'm not into pain, like being the master in my relationships. Tori went along, enjoyed it even."

"Except she didn't." Trina said, not giving Jade the chance. "She was mumbling, in her delirium, begging you not to hurt her any more. She just wanted you to tell her you loved her. Guess that only happens when the cameras are on you, or you think we're gonna take away your free ride."

"Okay, bitch, maybe we're over." Beck seethed. "But don't forget, I know your secrets. I can take you down."

"And I can take the blame, paint Tori as a victim of my good intentions and your bad ones." Trina shot back, her voice suddenly icy calm. "We lose, but you lose more. Think about it, I'd rather we do this friendly like, but I'm willing to tear us both down if it means saving her career."

Beck was fuming, but he seemed to understand the situation. "Tell me honestly, you never called Phillip, did you."

"Cat swears she called him, but he's just not interested." Trina assured him, the ice melting, just a touch. "I suggest you speak to your agent, arrange a casting video. Let them know you can do the action sequences. They'll appreciate it, and you'll have a better shot at the big money."

Beck hesitated for a moment, giving Jade a strange feeling that this breakup, the end to the constant contest for control he'd been having with Trina, was as big a deal to him as losing his girl. He hesitated long enough to say "I did love her, once." Before stomping off.

The girls were left standing under the sun shade, watching hm go. "I don't trust him." Jade said, never taking her eyes off of his retreating form.

"He's motivated by self interests." Trina assured her. "He's going to play nice, just to avoid making an enemy with heavy contacts. But, thanks for helping out with this, it couldn't have been easy for you."

"Would you believe, if we'd have met on the streets, I might have given in to his charms." Jade said. She didn't look back to see Trina nodding, just adding "Nah, me neither."

Trina started a phone call, letting Jade go. "Have some fun, but be there if my sister needs you, okay?" The manager said.

Beck didn't leave for two days, putting on a show of trying to work things out, but slowly losing ground. Of course, it helped that every member of the starlets security team was in on the breakup plan, and was there to support Tori in her part of it. But after two days, The press releases came out, both claiming that the breakup was a mutual decision. Beck was good at protecting himself, so he played the disillusioned boyfriend who tried, really tried, but couldn't overcome them growing apart over the last decade.

Just before he was set to go, Trina called Jade. "I've been monitoring everything you've been doing, so I know this wasn't you." The manager said, showing a picture blended two others, one of of Beck, and another of Jade, face distorted, seemingly merged together in a bad photoshop. The message was obvious, thar they'd once known one another, not that they'd been in the same place at the same time. Still, while the picture could be with a wide variety of stories, that type of photo tended to be attached to stories involving illicit affairs or similar tantalizing bits.

"You didn't trust me?" Jade asked, taking the moment to read the headline.

"See what Beck Oliver was up to just before Tori Vega broke up with him." The teaser read. Following the link, she found herself on Robarazzi, watching his short special report on the breakup.

Robbie stood there, in his virtual world, surrounded by flashing graphics meant to make his green screened world look like the inside of a computer. "Hi, welcome to Robarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro. Today on Robbarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro, we'll be looking at what went down over in Bermuda, just before Pop sensation and triple threat Tori Vega called it splitsville from her long time paramour, heartthrob Beck Oliver. Here on Robbarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro."

The boy was now standing in front of the graphic Trina had original shown her. "According to our sources, Beck met up with an old flame, now currently working as an assistant to Tori Vega, trying to renew old acquaintances. But our sources at the retreat say that this old flame knew Beck well, and refused to let him enter her room, claiming she wouldn't betray her employer. Says good things for Tori's hiring people, and bad things about Beck, who we suspect wanted more then just to catch up. Why else would he want entrance to her room? Hmm?"

The background shifted, now showing people moving across a busy Hollywood lot. "Funny, even thought they claimed to have just grown apart, it was only days after this encounter between old lovers that Miss Vega and her beard of ten years, Beck Oliver, called it quits. Coincidence? I think not. Also, this fierce loyalty held by mega pop sensation Tori Vega's people helps explain how she's been successfully in the closet for years without anyone finding out about her true romantic intentions. So was she using Beck, or the other way around? This reporter, Robbie Shapiro, host of Robarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro, thinks it's a mix. Tori, being the sweet girl I once knew, was just done deluding herself into thinking a man as effeminate as Beck Oliver could satisfy her needs, and so when she discovered he was trying to step out on her, she ended things as nicely as she could. Let me tell you, Beck Oliver, you got off easy, cause now I know you're the cheating scumbag I've always suspected you were."

Robbie was now looking straight at the camera. "Tori Vega, I, Robbie Shapiro, host of Robarazzi, am inviting you to come on my show and admit, openly, to your sexuality. Are you gay, or Bi? No one here will judge, and you'll feel so much better afterward. You have my word, as a journalist, as a friend, and as a frequent guest on the PFLAG float in the West Hollywood gay pride parade. You know you can trust me." Then stepping back, he added "This is Robbie Shapiro, host of Robarazi, starring Robbie Shapiro, saying Beck Oliver is a tool. Good night, and look for more at our regularly scheduled podcast, or on E, in our regular show, starring Robbie Shapiro."

Jade stammered. "I-I never..."

"I know, I was having you watched, remember?" Trina assured her. "Jade, this is bad. We promised Beck we'd be friendly, and Shapiro wound up with the story. We'll, part of the story. I need you here, cause I've sent Ryder to get Beck before he leaves, so we can go over a strategy to protect everyone. I'm still commuted to keeping things friendly."

"He doesn't deserve it." Jade muttered.

"Just a smart way of doing business, I assure you." Trina said. "We're protecting the brand."

Beck showed up, trailing the taller Ryder. "So, changed your mind?" He asked smugly.

"Wait for Andre." Trina told Beck. "Once he's here, we'll get this going."

The last member of the meeting sauntered up, looking happy to be in this paradise. "Yo, Trina, whats shaken, bacon."

"We have a leak." The manager said sternly. "And it wasn't Jade here. I was so sure that if someone was gonna sabotage our understanding with mister Oliver here, it would be her."

"I'm more of a drown him in the pool and take him out to sea kind of gal." Jade said, giving her ex an evil smile.

"Wow, when did you go all psychotic?" Beck asked. "Wait, I keep forgetting who you were. This is kinda an improvement for you."

"The point is, we had our story, all nice and clear, and someone went and leaked another version." Trina said as she handed her tablet to Beck, allowing him to look at the teaser link. He pushed the link, so he and the others who hadn't seen it yet could watch the video. Trina allowed the short video to run, giving the boys the chance to see just what Robbie was selling, before continuing. "I know your thinking we had something to do about this, but I swear, we don't like playing dirty. Doing this hurts us as much as it hurts you. The only reason Robbie didn't lean into Tori more was he's got his own agenda for her, and it involves being the one to break the 'Tori's gay' story. Anyways, I'm concerned, cause that video just shows that there was a spy somewhere around us. It's possible the spys among the resort staff, but there are other possibilities, and I don't travel with spies. I trust my whole crew. Some of them have been with me for years…."

"If this were anywhere else, I'd call you a lying cunt to your face." Beck started. "Hell, I probably should anyways. But this is Robarazzi, and I know if you were to stoop to talking to that guy, given how much he seemed to hate me, you'd have told him about the S&M games, giving your own spin on things. No, I believe you. I was able to pay one of the cleaning staff to be my photographer back when I tried to win Tori back. I have no faith that the contractors they have here wouldn't have turned on me, you or even Tori. Worse, one of her fans could easily have sent this in. No, I don't blame you, and you did realize that you had to fill me in as quickly as possible. But this doesn't mean I like you. I just know you have more, and I'm not the kind of guy to go and break a deal over some chiz someone else did."

"Okay, Beck, here's how were gonna play it. Jade, you came out of this looking loyal as hell, and I like that, so we're not gonna fight it. We'll just put our own spin on the narrative. Beck, we let the world think that you just wanted to talk to somebody about your failing relationship, needed a friend, and Jade happened to be here. You weren't expecting to see her, haven't seen her in years, but you used to be close, like sibling. Remember that line, siblings. Not lovers, not dating, but siblings. You may have dated before, but now you're close friends who lost track of one another." Trina's hand was moving, pointing to each person as their part came up.

"Wait, ten years is too much. Lets split the difference, say you lost track of one another five years ago. Makes it seem less like Beck left you for Tori. Then, we go with the truth, only without the Beck being a cheating scumbag part." The boy didn't even react as Trina continued. "Jade here felt it would be wrong to have that conversation in her room, and someone caught the pre-conversation where she was letting you know that wouldn't be appropriate. Both knew it was about needing a shoulder to cry on as you, Beck, could see the distance growing in the relationship. Okay, this is good. Now Beck, not yet realizing the spark had died a while ago, and both you and Tori being such loyal, passionate people, had tried to hold on when it just wasn't working any more. Yea, I think that will work." Trina finished, her eyes scanning the room. "Everyone good?"

There was a round of affirmations, including Beck agreeing to the plan. Only Jade stood in awe of the process. "So you just make things up?" She asked Andre quietly. They'd started walking the actor out of the building, talking as they went.

"You remember Tori, early on American Voice? How the judges always made a point of mentioning how bad her sister was?" The dark skinned boy asked.

"I really didn't like watching the show after Beck and I..." The blue eyed girl said, acknowledging her dislike for that memory.

"We'll Trina had tried out the year before, and her audition was one of the worst." He filled her in. "So when Tori was on the show, they'd show Trina's audition, almost every time, to establish she wasn't her sister. Then, afterwords, Trina would be shown supporting her sister, giving praise or advice or whatever. Thing is, Trina became a part of the tour, and it was all so she could managed the image people were presented of her sister. Tori's talent stood out more cause of how untalented her sister was, but then they showed her getting nothing but support from her family. Later, when Beck came into the picture, it looked like Trina stepped back so Beck could be there for Tori. But in the end, and lord knows I had no idea at the time, it was really just Trina managing things from the side lines. She knew that the draw of waiting for the big sister fight would get old, so she gave them a romance instead. Trina's good at managing Tori's image."

"You realize, I was auditioned to be Tori's boyfriend." Beck chimed in. "Yep, Trina manged that too. Didn't help me that much on American Voice. I wasn't even in the top eight. But it sure as hell helped her bore of a sister." He ignored the glare Trina was sending his way, then he smirking as he took a half step towards his car, alerting Jade that the manager had followed them out. He stopped then to regard his other ex. "So Jade, just a warning, I'm leaving that bore in your hands. Try and show her some kind of fun." His smirk turned into an evil smile. "I remember what you used to consider fun..." With that, he turned back to the waiting car and made his way out of the compound.

Jade looked nervously at the others in their small group, almost feeling like she'd been let into a secret the others had known by virtue of being here when the argument took place. But Andre was giving her sympathetic eyes, and Ryder looked floored by the whole revelations. "Okay.." Trina said slowly, taking her time to think as her eyes scanned around them. No one else was allowed to be close enough to know what they were talking about. By now they were under a sun shade, the one Trina used when she was outside while doing work. "Jade, what Beck just said, I could deny it, but I think it's time the security staff knew that. I haven't shared that secret with anyone. Now, before we go on, he implied something…?"

Jade opened her mouth, but no words were coming. Taking another deep breath, she started. "I was a messed up kid. Martial arts were supposed to deal with my anger issues. Dad didn't believe in therapy, so sprang for my martial arts instead. Thing is, that wasn't enough. I was a scrappy little brat. I used to look for trouble when I was young, like fourteen. I got into more then one fight, and if I'm honest, my friends were the only reason I didn't get seriously hurt, raped, or worse. But now, I'm not the wild child I was, I swear..."

"I don't need the details." Trina cut her off. "Not unless I decide I need to know. But for now, I don't doubt you had a rough past. I don't care. You do a good job, and I want you around. So, why don't you go see how Tori's doing, and let her know Beck's gone now. She may need a shoulder to cry on. I'll send Andre once we've spoken about Europe."

Jade nodded, and rushed off to find the pop star. Andre watched her go, his eyes lingering on her ass. "Girls a looker." He said, then he glanced over at Ryder. "I need a moment..."

"I'll make sure security's doing their job, maybe sweep for cameras. There's a leak somewhere, and I wanna catch that jackass before we leave." Ryder said as he walked off.

"Okay, what about Europe?" Dre asked.

"Have you had a chance to go over the security protocols were gonna be using?" Trina asked.

"I helped write them." He replied. "So yea. I think we'll have much the same problems there as we would in the states. Not many places on earth where the local don't have a lot of violence in their systems right now. But I suspect things will be real safe now. We just gotta keep our eyes open for whomever was behind the abduction attempt."

"I concur." The manger said. "But whats been worrying me was they didn't make another attempt while you were out. New security person, thats when I make a try."

"But Jade's a pro." Dre replied. "They knew the moment she was out there that she wouldn't let Ryder be drawn off, or have someone get their hands on Tori without major repercussions. No, Jade represents a different threat."

"Oh?" Trina wondered aloud. "Do tell."

"Maybe that Shapiro guy was right about Tori." The dark skinned man hesitated, waiting for Trina to prompt him with her eyes. "Tori kinda undressed Jade with her eyes, back at the pool party, the first night here. I wanted to just let it go, but a part of me thinks they have more then the usual bodyguard client trust issues going on."

"Tori just got out of a relationship." The Latina started, looking down at her laptop. "Even if it was fake for Beck, and me, it was very real for her. I think she needs time to process whats going on. Make sure she has it."

"Got it." Andre agreed.

"Then.." She added before he could possibly leave. "Then, if there is a spark, and I mean from both ends, let me know how things go. I need to ream Phillip as is, but if things do change, he'd better come through for me..."

"Okay.." Andre said, starting to back off.

"But if things do progress naturally, and they'd better be natural, then nothing happens on the tour, got it?" Trina instructed him. "We're protecting Tori's image. Now go, I've got a lot to think about."

:}

Ever have one of those breakups? Beck didn't go quietly, not without a threat. But in the end, he left, once he saw that Trina was willing to fight him for Tori.

Whats your thoughts on Robbie? I kinda borrowed some of his spiel from the Robbarazzi episode. I think I liked his ending tag line.

So thoughts, reviews, whatever, let me know. You know what to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Victorious and it's characters belong to Nickelodeon and Schneider's bakery. I neither own nor profit from them in any way.

:}

The next couple of days, Tori spent in her room, only coming out for things she felt the cast needed. A day before they were set to head out to England for the next leg of the tour, the backstage crew flew out, commercial, to go over the equipment and how their trucks had been packed. Tori made a point of seeing them off at the airport, Ryder at her side. Jade was staying near Trina, helping her run errands in the local community before going back for their last night party.

That day, Trina broached a subject Jade was shocked to ever come from the girl. "You studied acting in high school?" She asked.

"Beck waned to be an actor, and I was his girl, so from fourteen until sixteen, when he dumped me like yesterdays news, we'd do these acting workshops." Jade explained. "It's amazing what you can learn in New York. And there are so many actors looking to make a buck, to pay the rent until their next big break, that you can study anything. My strengths were improvisation, and method acting. That, and singing. God, Beck and I, we studied voice from anywhere we could. Joined a chizzing acapella group and everything." The smile, as well as the warmth from her good memories, startled her. But the raven haired girl pulled herself back to look at the manager. "There a reason for these questions?'

"You're a fan of the Heathens?" Trina asked. "You know Johnny Rock has a talent for self destruction. But still, with the right manager, he could have gone a lot further. A manager does more then promote the band. I protect Tori's image, and if I felt it was necessary, I'd have torn her ego down as well. Thats the problem with Beck, he believes I should just do what he wants. Never listened to me. Thats the weakness of the manager, what makes it harder for us to help our clients, when they won't listen to us. I couldn't have helped Johnny Rock, cause he was already set in his ways by the time I was old enough to start planning peoples careers. Thats kinda what I wanted to bring up."

"So?" Jade asked. "I always admitted that they never sold out."

"You have any idea how fucking hard it is to sell out when no one is making an offer?" Trina teased, but showed a bit of frustration. "I admired Johnny's music, just not his work ethic. Tori's got talent, a hellacious work ethic, and she's willing to go along with my ideas. My biggest problem is she believes those morons, the ones who keep saying it's time for her to show us her sexy side. The same guys who're saying that a bad girl phase would help her career. No, she's the fucking girl next door. That means she's the girl everyone wants to fuck, but doesn't slut herself out so people can have an easy time imagining what she'd look like naked. I've fought this battle for a long fucking time."

"And your telling me this why?" Jade asked. 'Man, this has to be why they never instituted a swear jar.'

"Cause your her bodyguard." Trina said. "Your first priority is her life, followed by her health. Next is her reputation, then what she wants. I've done my part, for years, and she's got everything she ever wanted, but only the things she really wanted, not the shit she only thought she wanted. Now I need you to tell me you''ll do your part as well."

"You got it." Jade agreed.

"Good, now tell me, is the rumor true?" Trina smirked. "That you're a switch hitter?" She watched Jade's face, the look of surprise, just for a moment, then added. "Not that it maters, but I did want to know, assuming it was more then experimentation."

"Yes, No, and it's Beck's fault." Jade replied. "We got everything? Just asking cause the locals, the looks their giving us, they don't seem to happy with us talking about embarrassing chiz on their streets."

"Relax, we're done, but I'm not ready to head back just yet. I wanted a little girl time, mostly because I needed to know a lot more about you. Jade, your becoming part of the family. I want to make sure nothing you do reflects badly on us." The manager said.

"Meaning you don't want me snoodling with some chick and causing an incident that would hurt Tori." The blue eyed girl said.

"Girl, guy, just don't hurt the image." The manager said before adding "Then how was it Beck's fault that you didn't have a relationship with some girl?" Trina pushed. In a strange way, this was more of an interrogation then her job interview.

"I have shit piles of trust issues." Jade started. "After Beck broke my heart, I got into some dark chiz. I'm talking about underground cage fighting where you can wind up dead, paralyzed or scarred for life. I had a groupie ofter herself to me, and I was so fucking lonely I took her up on it. Afterwords, I couldn't make anything happen out of what we'd done together. I wanted more, a relationship, but couldn't trust enough to even ask."

"And did she want to be tied down to someone who might not make it back?" The Latina asked. "Or was she enjoying the excitement of sleeping with someone who could be dead the next week?"

"What are you suggesting…?" The bodyguard wanted to be angry, but the memories were far too sad.

"I know Groupies." Trina said calmly. "Did you know Tori signs boobs? Not a lot, but more this trip then on any single trip she's done. And then girls offer her more. But they offer the band more then they offer her. I've seen an eighteen year old girl, standing in front of her mother, offer to blow the guitarist Tori had hired for the tour. Trust me, I get what rock does to people."

"Oh.." Jade breathed.

"What you do on your own time is your business. Hell, one of my friends from high school was a marshal for the West Hollywood gay pride parade three years running, part of PLFAG." Trina continued. "Just, lets keep the wholesome image a bit longer, kay? For Tori."

"Got it, boss." Jade agreed. "You got it. Now, we have anything else, or am I escorting you home."

"Please, your not my type." Trina joked as they headed back to the hotel.

The flight to England was uneventful, with Tori spending the whole flight in mourning. 'Of course, it takes more then a few days to get over a breakup. Especially if the man was the guy you'd hoped to spend the rest of your life with, even if the real relationship was held together with tape and promises.' Jade observed. 'Wow, the way I worded that, maybe I should get back into writing. Mister Gradstien seemed to think I had a real talent for it.'

"Yo, Jade, a quick word." Andre called her over. "Once we hit land, I'm putting you on Tori detail. Between you and Kasey, every one of Tori's needs get taken care of. You see to her well being, and let Kasey handle taking care of whatever needs to get got. Sorry, it means your first trip to England is gonna suck, but someone needs to be near her, to listen when she bitches, and in general hold her as she cries."

"Got it." The bodyguard replied, already expecting to spend a lot of indoor time with the mourning starlet.

"But look on the bright side," He added, "Lost of room service."

Then, before she knew it, they were in London, and everyone was setting up for the tour of the British islands. "It takes time to hit everything." Trina was explaining to some of the others, dancers who were still new to the European experience. "Like a U.S. tour, where sometimes we hit multiple cities in a state, we have whole countries to entertain. It can take months to play all of Europe, and then we have Asia. Lets be honest here, we're on a world tour, followed by a quick American tour, and thats a muti-year commitment. We have months left on this tour. So, if you find you need to bow out, let me know soon, so I can have replacements trained. The show goes on."

"No wonder Beck was feeling like a third wheel." Someone said, making Jade smile.

"So, Tori, we're in London. Anything you want to see?" Jade asked the starlet.

"Yea, Beck." Tori cried. "Sorry, I know he was using me, auditioned for it and everything, but I still miss him. He could be so good when the mood struck him."

"Wait, you knew about..." The blue eyed girl was floored.

"He told me once, while playing one of his fucking mind games." Tori admitted. "He wanted me to know that I couldn't do anything without Trina, or rather that I'd need him to do anything without her. So, get your shit, cause we're going out."

"Um, you have a show tonight, so maybe later?" Jade tried.

"Yea, sure, later." Tori agreed. "But for now, I have fans waiting."

Jade sighed, and called to Andre. "Impromptu meet and greet, in fifteen."

"Try to make that thirty, kay?" The now head bodyguard called back.

"Sigh, got it." She said, then addressed Tori. "So, what does one wear to a meet and greet in London?"

Thirty minutes later, both Ron and Bill were ready for the inevitable chaos that would follow them as Tori went out to meet the fans. However, things turned out to be more reserved then expected, with the fans showing a lot of patience with both Tori and the security team. Making it even easier, the hotel worked with them, providing a room where they could shunt the fans hoping for their brief meeting with the stat, thus granting even more control of the situation. Tori, for her part, ordered a drink, and nursed it for the entire time, talking and laughing and sharing her joys with the fans.

"Two o'clock." Jade called over the radio. "More paparazzi. I swear, their like vermin."

"Yep, and by now they've heard the news about Tori and Beck breaking up, so who knows what kind of shit they have planned." Ryder called in. He was upstairs with Trina, helping coordinate things after Andre had drifted down to help with filtering the crowd. "So, we take the cameras?"

"No, we let them take pictures, and then we spin the story." Trina corrected him. "Jade, stay close to Tori, just in case."

"On it." The bodyguard said. "Oh look, someone is manufacturing a story. Ron, watch the hottie being shuttled in by the man with the camera. I think he's supposed to do something."

"On it." The big guy said, intercepting the two and talking to them. The man was allowed to get near Tori, where he made a pass at her, and then was promptly escorted out by Bill.

Jade spoke to the camera carrying man who'd brought the hot guy in. "I thought we'd told you, let her initiate contact, and keep it friendly."

"Hay, it's not our fault she was all over my friend." The paparazzi complained.

"Too bad the pictures you'll have are of her being assaulted, cause thats not the story you were sent in to get, is it?" The female bodyguard growled. "And we can use them to press charges, if we have too."

"Hay, I didn't do anything." The reported insisted.

"So you'll be pleased to know that no one is accusing you of assaulting her, but the other guy, he's going to jail." She said, smirking. "Now, if he were your buddy, you'd maybe have some desire to help him not spend the night in jail, maybe?" She taunted him. "Better get going if your gonna help him out."

The tabloid photographer stormed out of the room, cursing under his breath. "Okay, find out how many drinks that is for Tori." Jade called, knowing someone would check that for her. "I don't want her any more drunk."

"I don't know how she could be, since I've been having them send her virgin drinks and alcohol free beer." Ron called back. "Only one real drink and she doesn't know it yet, cause she's still feeling the buzz."

"We tell her, later, so if she does go drinking with friends some time in the future, she doesn't drink herself into a coma thinking she can handle it." Jade warned. Still, she was happy with the evolution of those two. Ron and Bill now had shown to be good for more then just muscle. 'Glad someone was on that.'

After a draining couple of hours, they took Tori to her sound check, and then let her have a nap. "Girls exhausted." Jade observed. "What else is on the agenda?"

"We have television appearances all this week." Trina complained. "I think we'll have to cancel."

"Most of the British hosts are understanding." Dre pointed out. "There will be some uncomfortable questions, but mostly those interview will keep her out of trouble. That is, as long as we're on top of the questions. I think talking, spinning the story and focusing on her music, it'll help."

"As long as it doesn't involve another one of those long impromptu public meetings, I'm in." Jade agreed.

The show was a little off, because Tori was feeling drained from everything she'd been through. While still a passable show, it lacked a lot of her energy. Worse, she knew the mistakes she was making, and started flailing to avoid making more, causing more and more things to go wrong. After the first act, during the long solo, Jade pulled her aside and spoke to her.

"Whatever's going on, stop it." The raven haired girl said. "Just, I don't know, take a breath, and think about how you normally do this. Relax, take each moment as the next chance to make things easy, and just do it. I know, I've seen fighters get into their own heads like this. They don't last long. So relax, and focus on just making the next part work. Everything else is done."

Tori was nodding, softly crying, as Jade tried to motivate her to go back out there and sing. "Jade, a moment." Trina said. "I need a moment with my sister." Her voice was calm, but the vibe she was giving off was anything but.

"Sure, but I've already given her a motivational speech." The bodyguard said, stepping away.

"Tori, do you want me to cancel the show?" The older girl said softly. "Maybe we come back, give them a real show when we're not hurting so much?"

"You don't think I can do it, do you?" Tori said, tears flowing even harder.

In the background, Malcolm, Trina's assistant, was heard telling the band "Add a drum solo, for the love of god, stretch."

"It's not that..." Trina tried, her voice soft and cooing. "I know you've been through a lot, and I want to give you the chance to rest, mend..."

"Jade said I should relax, just face each moment as it comes." Tori argued. Jade, still in earshot, cringed.

"Normally I'd agree with her." The older girl replied. "But I know your hurting, and I don't need you to push yourself when all your not up to it."

"Beck was right, I'm useless on my own." Tori wailed. Trina took her in her arms and held the starlet as she whispered platitudes to her.

Jade knew that unless something was done, this was the end of the show. Maybe the next couple of shows. She decided to do something. It'd be a risk, but she suspected Tori needed this win. So, as the stretched interlude was ending, she walked over to Tori and pulled the girl towards the stage. "You can give up, or you can try. If this doesn't work, we go with Trina's idea, but otherwise, give them the show they paid for, and we can take turns saying what we think about Beck after."

Tori, still in the outfit she'd worn for the first act, found herself pushed out onto the stage. For several moments, the Latina was frozen there, drying tears still on her face, as she looked out onto the London crowd. Slowly she started singing the wrong song, and Jade cringed about the disaster that was about to happen.

But the music hadn't started playing yet, and they were using a live band instead of a recorded soundtrack, since Tori preferred the live energy, so the band could catch up, play the song she'd started. The song wasn't one she usually played on tour, due to haw campy it was. Still, it was her first hit, having shot to number one on several charts. Almost immediately, the fans reacted, like they'd just heard a long lost love whispering in their ears. That song, about taking chances and becoming a star, gave her strength as she sang. It provided a basis for her to regain her footing and push forward, growing stronger with each verse.

"Okay, I need a spotlight on her NOW!" Trina was giving instructions. "Strobes, slow and sure, we want things to slowly get brighter as she goes, then I want the dancers out there to help her move to the next number. I don't care if she's in the wrong outfit, we give her a chance to shine, just like the song."

The music grew stronger, faster, and Tori shone with the best of hem. Soon, the audience was moving with her, feeling the rhythm and the power of that one song. By the time it was done, and she'd struck the pose she's used the last time she'd performed that song, her energy was much closer to normal. Jade let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Jade, you realize, normally I'd have to fire you." Trina said to the blue eyed girl.

"Yea, but it worked." Jade replied, watching Tori find her footing out there.

"No, I'm keeping you cause of the fucking motivational speech you gave her." The older girl snapped. "The fact that this stunt worked is immaterial. The fact that, with your speech, maybe she'll grow from it is whats keeping you employed."

"Yes ma'am." The tough girl was suddenly more subdued.

"As is, you're on my shit list for tossing her out there." Trina continued. "If you want off it, do a good job and impress me."

"Yes Ma'am." The bodyguard echoed.

"Now, thanks for being there for her." Trina added. "I know I sometimes baby her, and she's an adult now. Maybe I should trust her?"

"Permission to speak freely." Jade softly barked.

"Still looking for that early flight home?" The managed asked. "Okay, what the fuck is so important that you had to add so much fucking sarcasm"

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be sarcastic, it's just, I'm in the doghouse as is, and I didn't want to speak and find myself outta here." Jade explained. "But what I wanted to say was that Tori told me something today, and it kinda stuck. She'd mentioned that Beck had told her how much she depended on you, or him, or anyone, to take care of her. That she couldn't do anything herself. It was kinda a low blow."

"Okay, you've had your say." Trina seemed to blow her off, so Jade focused on the next part of her job. She hesitated, thinking about where she could evaluate the trip back, or if she should just check the dressing room for anything out of the ordinary. "Not saying it's not important, cause it is, but I just want you to know I've heard you." Trina added, not looking at her.

"Yes ma'am." The bodyguard said, deciding to check out the dressing room, then talk with the exit team to plan out how they'd be getting the emotionally wrought singer to the car.

After the show, Tori wanted to go out. She'd argued with the bodyguard, and her sister, the entire time she was getting cleaned up and changed in her dressing room. Trina, not wanting to fight her any more, agreed, as long as decent protection was used. But Tori continued to insist, even as she won the fight. Then, she directed Jade to the pub in question, the place she wanted to go to. Jade didn't even realize how odd it was that Tori knew exactly where she was going.

Once they walked in, Tori told her way that place. "I was told this famous guy, Andre something, loved this place. And Andre sounds like a name I could trust. So I'm here to just blend in." Tori said, smirking.

Jade's eye's were drawn to a picture of a man, a mountain of a man, standing with several other people, all of them standing in front of the bar, toasting something. "Who's that?" She asked a barmaid.

"You've never heard of Andre the Giant?" The girl asked. "He was a legend. Filmed princess Bride, wrestled, and had a heart as big as his body. I never met him, he died way back, but from what I heard, he never let anyone else pick up the check..."

"Oh..." Jade said, now sure she was in a strange place. However, as was fitting for a place a man like that would frequent, the locals gave her and Tori their space. Space the bodyguard felt was needed, because the pub wasn't that big. But it had a warm, homey feeling, with the locals talking and laughing and drinking their warm beer.

"Ug, this is awful." Tori complained as she ordered another pint of beer.

"Slow down, that chiz is potent." Jade warned. "Look, earlier, we were watering down your drinks. You didn't..."

"You what?" Tori asked, her voice more of a hiss then a shout. "How dare you? I'm in pain, real pain, and I need something to help me get through it..."

"And according to every alcoholic I know, this is a temporary answer at best." The bodyguard lectured. "Now, lets get going."

"No!" The starlet insisted. "I'm in England, in a pub, and I'm gonna do something English. Like eat some gross food, or play darts. Thats is, I'm playing darts."

"I don't see anything good coming from this." Jade groaned, following the singer to the dart board. The board showed all the trimmings of it being used all the time, except it was late, and people had left it for another day. Only the late night drinkers, the addicts and those who'd gotten off work late, were up drinking at this hour. So Tori was able to get to the board, pull out the darts, and stagger to where she could take aim. "Now watch this shot." Tori said proudly, and proceeded to miss the board entirely. Then she broke down in tears. "I can't do anything right… No wonder Beck left meeee…."

"You left him." Jade assured her. "Man, just two pints, and she's this drunk."

"That was a local premium bitter." The barmaid said, having overheard the raven haired bodyguards complaint. "Strong stuff, and she had two pints." The barmaid was carefully removing the rest of the darts from Tori's hands

Seeing that the singer wasn't getting any better, Jade decided to call it a night and called a cab. "Come on, Vega, lets get you back to the hotel." The blue eyed girl said softly, hoping to get the girl back before things got worse.

"What'd you call me?" Tori asked, suddenly angry.

"Vega, your name." Jade said, thinking quickly. "It's a star, like you."

"Oh, I like that." The singer was smiling now. "Hay, can I get one for the road?" She called out to the barkeep.

"How much do we owe?" Jade asked. A moment later, she'd paid, and they were on their way out towards the door. "Come on, lets get you to the nice taxi… God, I hope this isn't an Uber driver."

"Sorry, but they respond faster this time of night, and cost less." The barmaid said, as she helped them into the waiting vehicle. There was a moment as Jade got Trina to run a credit card, since she was going to have enough trouble getting reimbursed for that night, and then they were driving through the night.

Tori spent the entire drive whining about Beck, and why he just couldn't seem to love her. "Tori, it's okay, let go, cry if you need to. He's not worth the tear, but you may need time to feel better, so have a good cry. You can show a brave face tomorrow." Jade was trying to comfort the girl, all while worrying that their driver might decide to take some pictures and sell them to the notorious British tabloid press.

"You took her drinking?" Trina demanded as they pulled the now singing, while still crying, pop star out of the car.

"She insisted on going out, and I couldn't stop her." Jade replied. "She found a place where the locals swore she'd be safe, a place that celebrities are treated just like ordinary folk. I thought she'd be safe there. And she was. Only person there trying to hurt her was her. Girl wanted to play drunken darts."

"Okay, I get that you tried, but this isn't the answer." The manager scolded her.

"I'm kinda hoping the hangover is." Jade said. "Besides, this is to be expected, her grieving after a breakup. If someone saw, you spin it. For now, we hope that she learns from tomorrow, her impending hangover, and doesn't do it again."

"Lets hope, and I'll take care of her image." The older girl said. "But getting her ready, thats your job. I'll give you a wake up call. Till then, good night. Tori's gonna hog the pillows."

"Wait, what?" The bodyguard said, suddenly getting a bad feeling about what was happening.

"She's drunk, and I'm not leaving her here alone." The older Vega explained. "So your with her tonight. Sleep light, in case she chokes, and be here to help her get ready tomorrow. I'll be expecting her to head out a bit after noon to do some press, and I'll want her clean and in top form."

'Great, I'm being punished for being there for her.' Jade grumbled as she slipped over to her room to grab some cloths for the next day, as well as something to sleep in. By the time she was back, Tori was sleeping, curled up in a small ball, holding the spare pillow to her like her life depended on it. "Wait, shouldn't there be another pillow?" The sober girl wondered.

She found one clutched between the starlets legs, and another under her feet. 'How many pillows does one girl need?' Jade marveled at the girls pillow hogging, and snuck back to her own room to steal a pillow for herself. 'I'll just grab a couple, in case she wants to build a fort.'

Jade woke early, before the threatened wake-up call, when the last of her pillow reserve had disappeared. Her eyes focused over to the other half of the king sized bed where Tori was bunkered in, surrounded by the pillows, blankets, and most of the bodyguards self respect. "How?" She wondered aloud.

"You pulled me from the bar while I was still hurting." Tori moaned, yawning, stretching, then going back to sleep.

"She..." Jade stammered. 'She took the pillows. Not unconsciously, but deliberately, she took the chizzing pillows.' Her first reaction was to reach over and snag her pillows back. There were pillows that the other girl couldn't possibly be using. 'Just one pillow, for a few hours more sleep.'

"Touch the pillow, and face the consequences." Tori's voice was tired, and promised dire revenge on the girl if she so much as touched the cushion.

A second later, Jade had her pillow back, and Tori hadn't moved. "I didn't think so." Jade whispered, and started to drift off to sleep.

She woke with a bang a second later as a pillow slammed into her. "Oh, it's on now." The bodyguard declared, grabbing her precious pillow and starting to swing.

The fight didn't last, since the sudden movement was giving Tori a headache. The hangover she was anticipating didn't happen, as she'd never got that drunk, even though she was fairly gone at two beers. Instead the girl felt queasy, raced to the bathroom, threw up, and returned to resume the pillow war with her bodyguard. "You didn't let me get drunk enough." Tori whined. "Do you really think it only took that little alcohol to do me in. Thats two pints at what, seven percent?"

"More then enough to get your skinny ass drunk." Jade sneered. Pillow swinging.

"Genetics." Tori shot back. "Ask Trina, we burn through that shit fast. Made it weird at parties, back in school, cause Trina would get drunk and recover in time to fool dad about what we'd been doing. Also, I'm not light weight." The singer had good reflexes, and was very well versed in using hotel pillows as weapons.

"I don't recall either of you drinking the entire time I've been with you." The bodyguard stated.

"I drank.." She protested, but her angry mood soured. "With Beck. Made the weird shit he wanted to do more bearable." The now sad girl said, dropping her weapon. "You can go, I'm good."

"No, your sister expects me to watch over you." The blue eyed girl insisted.

"Then I guess your in for another show, cause I'm not letting you being here prevent me from changing." Tori said.

"Wake me when your done." Jade replied, grabbing a pillow and snuggling into bed again.

Seconds later, she felt the warmth of the singer spooning her. "What? It gives me comfort." Tori mumbled into her hair, calming the raven haired girl down. Soon, only the sound of the fan in the bathroom could be heard in the room, both girls breathing softly.

:}

Soak it up, cause there's not a lot of Jori for a bit. We still have broken Tori to deal with, and the tour goes on.

Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter, or at least the pillow fight. I know, not a lot of details, but I leave that to your imagination. Now clean up your thoughts and put their cloths back on.

Reviews are wealcome.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's character. But thats okay, cause I don't make any money off of it either. All I get is the joy I give to my readers.

:}

Jade woke that morning, well ahead of her anticipated wake up call, and pulled herself out of the bed. The singers grip on her had loosened, enough for a pillow to take her place, so Jade decided to have a quick shower and get ready for a long day.

While in the shower, using her normal skin products, Jade was vaguely aware of the door opening. She'd left it unlocked, anticipating that Tori would undoubtedly need to use the rest room. However, she was in for a surprise when the shower curtain was pulled back.

"What the…?" The blue eyed girl screamed.

"Good morning." Tori said. "Sorry, but I understand I showed you mine, and feel I'm owed."

The bodyguard, who'd covered up at the first sound of the curtain being pulled, was glaring at the singer. "You have nice tits. I can see why Beck liked you so much." Tori remarked as she closed the shower curtain and got busy doing her morning routine.

It almost made being exposed by this girl seem okay, a curious girl looking to see what assets her now ex boyfriend no doubt compared her to in the past. Just one thing felt wrong about the whole thing. "You looked at me naked." Jade said. It was a credit that she didn't scream.

"So, you'll probably see me naked again, so I just wanted to even the playing field." Tori said from the other side of the curtain. "Now, hurry up, or that day will be a lot sooner then you'd believe."

Jade finished her shower, drying herself as quickly as she could and surrendering the room to the crazy starlet who she'd been watching over. Then, once she was dressed, she called over to see if Trina was up. "So, whats this about you guys recovering from drinking quickly?" She asked.

"Oh, great, she got that too?" Trina bitched. "Look, your not off the hook yet. She had a bit to drink, and just sleeping doesn't burn it out of the system as quickly as you'd think. I'm guessing she's what we call an awake drunk, and that means she's not thinking clearly. Has she done anything a bit off?"

"When I was in the shower, she insisted on seeing what I looked like." Jade said. "So, drunk, I guess."

"Yea, drunk." Trina didn't sound that convinced. "Look, I'm texting you her itinerary. Give her time to play with her fans, but make sure she's on time for all of those press meets. I want her saturating the airwaves."

"Am I alone on this?" Jade asked.

"No, you've got full team coverage. Andre will be coordinating Bill, Ron, and a couple of locals brought in for crowd control. You just make sure she does what we need her too, and doesn't get hurt by an overly friendly fan." Trina instructed. "And sorry about her looking at your naked body. I hope this doesn't cause problems in the future."

"It's nothing to complain about. You know, not after being in a locker room, but it's just weird how she did it." The bodyguard said. "Okay, got the itinerary. Looks like we have some time, so I'm gonna get us some breakfast."

"Already on the way." The manager chirped, and Jade could hear the smirk. "What, I know what she likes, and its room service, baby."

"But do you know what I like?" Jade asked.

"I'm assuming normal breakfast stuff." Trina replied; "And if I got things wrong, you can always ask them to exchange it. Like I said, it's room service, the privilege of our travel budget."

As soon as Jade was off the phone, Trina called Andre. "So, you have everything ready for today?" She asked.

"Yep, we're ready to roll, just as soon as Tori gets up and gets moving." The head bodyguard replied.

"Tori's up, and apparently took a peak at Jade in the shower." Trina said. "Whats your take?"

"Kinda early." He said. "But it's a good sign."

"Not so sure about that." The older girl replied. "Tori's image is the girl next door. We've avoided making her that sexualized vixen."

"And we're not." Dre assured her. "Just, you know, kinda bisexual. Just like that, we spin it as normal."

"Only, and I'm solid on this, we only take action if they wind up together." Trina humphed. "I'm not setting her up again."

"Amen to that." Andre echoed.

"And Andre..." Trina added, biting back her annoyance at the "I told you so" tome in his voice.

"What?" He asked.

"Stop imaging Jade naked." The manager teased.

"Aaawww man, now I'll be guessing what she looks like every time I see her." He whined. "Why'd you go and put that image in my mind?"

"What is it with men?" Trina asked, but she was smiling, enjoying the banter.

"Not just men." Andre shot back. "Otherwise, Tori wouldn't have felt the need to see what Jade was hiding. What are those, anyways? I'm thinking D's, but she dresses so conservatively sometimes..."

"I have no idea what your talking about." Trina griped. "I mean, how would I even know she wears a 32D bra anyways?"

"Guess your right." Andre replied. "What is it about men, huh?"

After the drunken incident, Tori seemed to calm down and just mope a bit before the shows. She slowly started acting just a touch embarrassed around Jade, stemming from the peeping indecent, but that passed with a few assurances from Jade that it was just shock, and she was okay with it. "Just like a locker room." She'd said to the girl. "Just, wasn't expecting it then, and I was bound to feel like you'd crossed a few lines. But as you said, we've seen one another naked now, so it's all good."

Tori readily agreed, but seemed to blush just a bit. Not sure why, she assumed it was just the embarrassment of taking such risks with a girl she desperately wanted to be friends with. 'She works for me, so we have a really good shot at being friends.' The singer told herself. Then she focused on that nights show.

After she performance, Tori seemed alive for the time it took her to go home, have something to eat, and then crash out in her room. But the next day, she was back to moping, worrying about what was wrong with her, and in general letting Jade know she wasn't over Beck yet. She'd be down, pull herself out of her misery long enough to do some press, meet with her fans, then jump back into her mopeyness for the time between the sound check and the show. Tori would psych herself up for the show, give a strong performance, and then be happy, alive, for the trip out of the venue, back to the hotel, a quick dinner, and then to her room where she'd crash. This behavior lasted the entirety of her tour of the British isles, and into the continent. It wasn't until after she started the tour of the mainland that she got over the moping and started enjoying the process.

It was in Paris, of all places, where Tori started to show interests outside her music, her fans, and recovering from her relationship with Beck. The singer had insisted on seeing the Eiffel Tower. Not just see it, but see the lights of the city from the top of the tower. Everyone understood, cause that was just what you did when you visited Paris. So they made arrangements for her to visit, taking the elevator up, then the next, since you had to take two separate elevators to get all the way to the top platform. They rode all the way to the top, gathering around and watching the view, the sunset, and each other. Everyone was watching Tori, afraid she might do something radical, but they quickly realized she just wanted to look at the sights. The view of the city of lights was breathtaking, drawing everyone's full attention. It was the moment they'd been looking forward to since they came to France.

That was, everyone but Jade. To a New Yorker, who'd seen views like this before from much higher up, this view just wasn't that special. Beautiful, just nothing she hadn't seen experienced back in Manhattan. Still, they stood there, Tori, Trina, the security squad, and the assistance, all watching the singer looking at the now lit up city.

"Quite a view, huh?" Tori asked the blue eyed girl.

"Yea, Better then I expected." Jade replied with a shrug.

"What did you expect?" Tori asked, still looking out over the city.

"I don't know, maybe I'm just a bit Jaded, cause of the views available in New York. Views you usually don't have to pay for, might I add." The female bodyguard replied.

"Oh, Jade, you have so much to see, don't you?" The signer gushed, just for a second. "And I'd love to be the one to show you." For a moment, they stood there in silence, watching the city glow. Then, the now blushing singer added "The world. I wanna show you the world. In a non sexual kinda way, like a mentor, or an employer, showing you everything, and for the love of god, will someone shut me up?"

"Just waiting for you to do that yourself." Jade said, smiling. "And as for showing me the world, you can show me as much as you like from out seats in the private plane your sister has booked."

"Sure, when we use the plane." Tori replied, smirking.

Jade would soon learn what Tori was talking about. It seemed, she preferred, in Europe, taking the bus to the shows, as opposed to taking the plane everywhere. They still flew from venue to venue, but if the ride wasn't too far, or the trip to tiring, they'd take the bus. "It's important for the dancers to know I'm one of hem, and not some pampered Prima Donna who's forgotten how bad the ride can be when touring." Tori had argued with her sister.

"Fine, but only on roads I approve of, and only if you have security with you. And we keep it on the down low, pretending your still with me, so that stalkers and creeps don't plan on anything." Trina agreed. "Jade, Bill, I wont you two with her the entire time she's on the bus. If she gets off to use the rest room, I want one of you in there with her, and the other watching the door."

"I suppose I can do that." Bill said. "They have unisex bathrooms in Europe, right?"

Trina's glare could have melted glass. "I meant Jade goes in with her, and you wait outside. Make sure that no creeps go in while she's there, and clear the fucking way for her when she's trying to get places."

"He knew that." Ryder assured her.

"Andre, you're with me. I'll have you helping me coordinating things, and since we'll show up hours before they do, I want to make sure everything's ready." Trina continued. "Also, check the roads, conditions, weather, everything, and make a list of safe ones to give me. Keep me up to date on that shit, in case I need to change plans at the last minute. And make sure whatever security we have for the buses can handle whatever problems come up, cause I don't need my sister out there with only two guards. Which brings me to Ron." Her gaze on the big man was intense, threatening. "I need you with me, but also to work with security wherever we're placing them, as crowd control for when they arrive. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am." The big guy replied, glancing sideways at Jade.

"Um, I've been teaching them a bit of martial arts." The female bodyguard pointed out.

"And you need to be fresh to do that." Trina finished for her. "Take that up with Tori here."

"I'm just trying to foster a relationship with my band and dancers." The singer defended herself. "Besides, you don't get to see the real countryside from a plane."

Somehow that was the last word of the argument, as Jade quickly learned what it was like to take a bus everywhere. It got the job done, but there are so many better choices for traveling. The bus was more bouncy, and felt like it was far to big for some of the roads they were on. Sometimes it felt like they were about to go off the road, into a ditch or over the side of a hill, only for that perception to be off, and the driver knew exactly what he was doing. But the views, of the countryside, of the people, it didn't change that fast, and that made Jade wonder again why they just didn't fly.

The first leg was weird, because the buses and trucks were loaded onto a train, and then the crew were loaded onto passenger pods in that train. "It's a wash, expense wise, for us to use the train as part of the transport, since it saves fuel and wear and tear on the vehicles, but cost to use the train. Still, it's more comfortable, and faster." The tour manager explained. "We'll only use it between countries."

The other thing that happened along the way was that Tori shifted her relationship with Jade another notch. Many times she was butting into the business of the crew, trying to hear the latest gossip and find out anything she could about her people. But it was more accurate to say she was trying to fit in. Tori wanted so badly to be one of the gang, another cast member stuck on the buss as it drove along the roads from one venue to the next.

Other times, Tori was sitting right next to Jade, looking out the shaded windows, and pointing things out to the raven haired girl. At those times, Tori took her duties as tour guide very seriously, and would lecture on about the local crops the farmers might be growing, or what the area they were passing through was famous for. Jade quickly tired of that treatment, and threatened to disable the buses Wifi if Tori kept it up. That was enough to stop some of the lectures. However, Tori still spoke about things she didn't have look up on Wikipedia, and Jade did her job, sitting there and listening.

All of Tori's behaviors, for the times she was on the bus, were expected. Trina had warned Jade that Tori liked to feel like one of the girls, so her actions among the dancers was almost normal. And as for the tour guide treatment, Jade would have been shocked if the singer didn't try using the internet to fill in the many blanks about the local traditions and peoples. Jade just didn't need her to turn around and lecture about it.

It was in Germany that they had the next unexpected problem. Tori, still needing to find her equilibrium, decided to head out and see the sights. They'd added two USO shows, one in Ramstein, where NATO has it's local headquarters, and is home to over 50000 Americans. It was also for the patients at The Landstuhl Medical Center, located just a short drive away. Overall, a large crowd not just for the performance, but also for the meet and greet the pop star was only too happy to give. Hours of shaking hands, posing for pictures, and otherwise giving her fans that special treatment went by, as well as a tour of the medical facilities and visiting patients. Since Ladstuhl was built under local laws, it's required to provide services to all the locals who might need specialized medical treatment. "Over 250,000 locals get treatment here every year, in addition to the estimated 50,000 Americans who receive care here." Someone read off a web page as they were waiting to start their first tour of the base.

Jade and the rest of security were in a new world. They were there, ready to go, but unarmed, and wearing visitors passes that clearly identified them and their roll. Mostly, they stayed back and watched as Tori stopped by to say high to anyone injured hat lay in her path. More then one person got a selfie with her, only to ask the nurse or orderly just who Tori was. 'Strange, cause I thought Trina swore she was popular here too? Guess she's no David Hassulhoff.' The bodyguard couldn't suppress a smile at that thought.

Still, after meeting so many people the faces all blurred together. Later, after performing for the armed services, their friends, family and guests, Tori seemed to be feeling a bit better about herself. She was so happy, she even forgot that there would be a USO section at her Wiesbaden open air show, followed by a half day visit at the American army base located there. Thus, they'd get half a layover day in a resort town, known for their hot springs. She was that proud of our soldiers recovering there, and of the people who took care of them and the locals. Tori would need that half day, cause she went all out to entertain the troups.

After visiting the base, Tori wanted to taste the local color. "I wanna visit a German pub." She cooed, drawing a grown from her entourage. "What? Germany is famous for it's beer."

"Wine." Trina said, not looking up from her pear pad.

"Wine?" Tori asked. "I could have sworn Germany was known for their beers."

"But we're in the Rhine district, specifically the Rheingau wine district, so called because it's known for it's wine, and they celibate it hear, just during a different time of the year." Trina said, still focused on her pad.

"Are you looking local information up?" The pop star asked.

"And arranging an Uber cab for you." The older sister said. "Look, Tori, I get it, your young, single, and out to mingle. You're in Germany, and here they drink. But I'm still gonna look out for you."

"Have you heard about Beck?" One of the dancers, Nancy, asked.

"Not really." Tori murmured, suddenly in a less festive mood.

"He's George Clooney-ing his recovery over the breakup, hanging out with various attractive young women and models, but saying he's not ready for anything serious." The dancer said, sounding too eager to share the gossip. "According to Rabbarazzi, he's pretending, cause he never really loved Tori, and she found out and broke it off. Said they have a confidential informant in Bermuda who saw the whole thing, adding allegations of abuse or infidelity on mister Oliver side. Both camps, naturally, are denying it."

"You realize we're one of those camps, right?" Andre asked, but didn't get an answer because someone else had something to say.

"Nice of Robbie to give us a month before shredding our story." Trina griped, still looking at her pad.

"Wait, you mean it's true?" Nancy asked.

"Look, dude, it may be a good idea to stop poking the bear." Ryder warned.

"No, it's okay." The manager cut him off. "Robbie's looking out for us. I suspect he knew the day Beck left, and held off his rumors until now to give us a little deniability, cause Beck's not going to like what his reputation looks like without us giving Rob an excuse not to get to close."

"So, we getting drunk?" Tori asked. It suddenly felt like a good idea for a group exercise, bonding over what a douche bag her ex turned out to be.

"No. You may, but us, we have a job to do." Jade spoke, looking to the other security personnel. "And it's quite a job, isn't it?"

After they found a bar for the singer to drown her sorrows in, Tori was down for the rest of the day. She was drinking to forget, just because Beck seemed to be handling the whole breakup thing better then she was. In the end, Trina arranged a sleepover for the pop princess, with her, Trina, Jade, and a couple of others, so the star could feel surrounded by her friends.

That evening, the small group were subjected to retro party games and whatever else a still drunk Tori could think of to help keep her mind off of the fact that Beck was just shrugging the whole ten year relationship off like it never meant anything to him. It hurt her, in ways she hadn't realized it could. So the somewhat drunk starlet would come up with games like twister, while Trina guided her away from games like truth or dare, that had such an ugly downside to them.

The rest of that evening was fun, relaxed, with Tori feeling almost normal. Of course, it wasn't real, and she wasn't normal. She was the worlds biggest pop star, and she was in a hotel room, with security and room service and people looking for a sighting of her outside. But the singer did manage to enjoy the night, feeling drunk and happy and loved.

The next morning, as Jade cautiously helped her get ready, Trina was up and dressed, giving instructions to the staff. Jade grated her and settled in for breakfast, served buffet style from the trays room service brought for them. They were among the first to be moving that morning.

"So, you're not as drunk as she is I see." Jade said, smiling. "Is that your metabolism, or just you didn't drink as much?"

"Kinda both." Trina said, smiling. "Tor is drinking to forget, while I'm just tagging along. I didn't drink nearly as much. But I did take precautions, do things to reduce how much alcohol is in my system. You know the tricks, milk to cover the stomach so less alcohol gets absorbed, knowing when to reduce my drinking to maintaining the buzz, and in general giving my system some help. I had something to increase my metabolism, made me drunker faster, but also got it out of my system faster."

"Oh." Jade said. "Tori made it sound like you just burned that chiz out of your bloodstream."

"We do, but even we need time to fully get it out of our system." The manager replied. "I let myself get drunk last night, something I only do once in a while. But I still know how to protect myself. Good thing too, cause I have things I need to get done today."

"No rest for the wicked, huh?" Jade joked.

"It's no picnic for us saints either." Trina joked back. "Now go take a showed, I need Tori up, and we both know, when drunk, nothing gets her out of bed faster then the chance to look at one of her bodyguards naked."

"Yea, after breakfast, I'll be in my room." Jade said. "Let Kasey handle drunken Tori this morning."

"Won't have too." Trina said, smiling. "We worked most of it out of her last night, with the party games. She'll be fine. Heck, I'll handle her for the now. You go get dressed, and get back here. We need her to get on the plane, and it'll be easier if she thinks we're in a hurry."

"Why the rush?" Jade asked.

"Press stuff in the next country." Trina pointed out. "Now get moving, so we can get out of here."

In Italy, while they toured the Vatican, something that struck Jade as odd. "I'm partially Irish, and thats got heavy catholic roots. Me, however, I was never that into religion, so it's kinda strange that I'm the first in my family to tour this building."

"It's not like that." Trina said. "I mean, it is, and to millions around the world, this is a holy place where you show reverence. But to us, this is a guided tour of a historical building, where we stay with the tour group, and those men in the brightly colored outfits make sure we don't wander off to try and touch ourselves a pontiff."

"Still, it feels odd that I'm actually here." The raven haired girl repeated.

Tori smiled. "Would you have come on your own?" She asked. "I mean, if you had a reason to be in Italy, and had the time, would you have come on your own?"

"Probably not." The blue eyed girl said after a moment of thought.

"And you'd have missed out on all this history they're letting us see." Tori gushed.

"I'm thinking you were one of those kids who would never cut class." Jade said in a slightly sour tone.

"I loved school." Tori replied. "I was gonna be a vet, or maybe a botanist, then I found I loved singing. After Trina bombed on American Voice, I decided to give it a try. Everyone, including my voice coach said I was a natural."

"And the rest was history." Jade added. "You could have still studied, learned about animals, or plants, or whatever."

"Beck took up so much of my time, when I wasn't making my name in the music industry." Tori explained.

"I'll bet Trina here would have loved to help cut some time out for you to study." The bodyguard said. "Right?'

"I would have, but Tori kept telling me how important it was for her to make it as a pop star." Trina said, smiling. "I made it my mission to make her dream come true."

"Which was helping you make your dream cone true." Tori said.

"Wait, what?" The older sister said, pulling to a stop.

"Please, the tour has to keep moving." The guide said.

"I remember how crushed you were after they kept showing your audition for American Voice. I wanted to make it so people would stop making fun of you." Tori explained.

"We can't just stop, the tour needs to keep moving.." The guide was saying as a priest walked up and put his hand on the guide. The priest was whispering in the guides ear.

"So singing wasn't your dream?" Trina asked.

"It became my dream, and I wouldn't change a single thing about my life." Tori explained. "But I was on American Voice, I was out to win the contest, just so I could take you with me when I went on tour, and have you have the kind of traveling life you'd dreamed of."

"But I did everything for you." The older girl said. "I worked so hard, made myself the but of so many jokes, just so you could win." She was starting to get lost in emotion.

Th priest held his ear for a moment, then approached the two sisters. "Maybe, if I can be so bold, I can offer some advice?"

"Okay?" Tori said too quickly. Jade had positioned herself between the sisters and the holy man.

"Your success is a sign that God favored your bond as sisters." The priest said. "Think about it, you both made sacrifices for the other, and as far as I can tell from just overhearing you both, you've achieved whatever dream sent you on that quest. Am I right?"

"Um, I think so." Trina said.

"Yea, as I said, I wouldn't change my life for anything, and I suspect my sister is happy." The starlet looked at her sister. "Are you happy?"

"I love that I was able to succeed in making you the worlds biggest pop star." Trina said, smiling. "And I'm happy with the things I've accomplished up until now. Not saying I'm done, cause we're about to enter a whole new phase of your, our careers. But mostly, I'd say I'm very happy."

"Then be happy for where you are, and understand that you have time to find other things to fulfill your desires later." The priest said. "Each of you had a dream you pursued, and part of the reason you had that dream was to help your sister have the dream you believed she wanted. But as you've already said, you're both happy. So embrace, let gods love of you carry you forward, and know you're on the path he planned for you. Now, I've held the tour up long enough..." He smiled a big, warm smile.

The guide had been waiting very patiently for this priest to finish. Both sisters received a blessing, and the whole tour moved on. In the background, behind a curtain, an older man dressed in all white smiled, happy to have helped those sisters through a crises that may have caused them pain, had it not been headed off then and there. 'Gods providence.' He thought, before heading off to where he was supposed to be going before letting that little family moment distract him.

They'd played over sixty shows by the time they were done in Europe, hitting most of the countries but avoiding places that weren't safe, too small, or otherwise didn't have a reason to have a major tour performing there. In addition to those shows, Tori had performed over a dozen USO shows as well. It had taken just over three months, but she'd been able to keep her promises to Jade, often taking the girl out when it was safe enough to go sight seeing. She was showing her bodyguard the world. Trina felt it was good therapy, but had Andre watching the pair, just because.

It was those outings that caused the bodyguard the most worry simply because they were almost always in unfamiliar territory, where they didn't speak the language, and threats where everywhere. But they'd seen he hills of Spain, sitting in a gypsy camp and singing along to their music. The pair had visited a restaurant in Venice, as well as seeing the views in a small Swiss village. Each outing was an experience, a chance for Tori to forget what a jerk her ex had been, and for Jade to learn something new, often interesting, about the countries they visited. By the time they were done with Europe, Jade's biggest regret about those trips was that they had to miss so may, both because they were taking the bus, thus didn't have as much time, and because sometimes it just wasn't practical to sneak out with the biggest pop star in the world.

Finally, Europe was done, and it was time to move on to the next place, Russia. They had three shows planned for Russia, mostly just to prove they could. The shows were well received in a county not known for it's wealth. But a small number of it's citizens were fabulously wealthy, and had paid for them to be there. Tori and her crew stayed the entire time in the big cities, Moscow, Volgograd, and Saint Petersburg. The shows were sold out, filled with a mix of people who got tickets and favorites of various wealthy individuals rewarding them. But the shows were also very much political, and security was tighter then it had been in a long time. Jade in particular was on edge.

"I don't like this." The female bodyguard complained. "One of the cities is on the tour cause it used to be Stalingrad, as opposed to a real population interested in her music."

"Relax." Andre insisted. "It's bad publicity for anything to happen to us while we're here. They'll keep us safe."

"Russa's still a place where people sometimes kill for so little..." Ryder reminded them. "Yes, it's changed, but I'm not relaxing until the next few parts of the tour are long over."

In Russia they found themselves dealing with the overly friendly fans, as well as a culture that glorified risk takers. The result was shows that were full of fans who wanted to see something happen. They loved the music, but the fans took the risks, tried to get closer, and they pushed the boundaries of the security staff. Jade hated how dangerous things were getting, but would take that over the other problems they found performing in that country.

The other problem was the planned sightseeing tours. Tori was shown a few of the historical sights in the cities she played, almost like the politicians in each city wanted to control her views of the country. Jade found it safe enough, with the heightened security, but the effects were strange. Tori saw the beautiful sights, but felt like she was being herded. The singer chose to behave, and played it straight as much as she could. But the stress she was feeling was flowing over to her interaction with her staff, and they tried to help but had no idea what it must have felt like to the singer to suddenly be just a prop in someone elses play. Tori moaned and complained, while Jade just smiled and offered what comfort she could. She had no idea who might be listening.

Despite those incidents, and a going away party involving more then a little vodka, they managed to get out of Russia and on to the African part of the tour without too much trouble. "Okay, we have ten shows in Africa, and I think it'll be a blast. Just, we're not driving through anything for these, so we have a plane chartered, and we're using bare bones sets." Trina instructed everyone. We start with Morocco, and go from there. We end with two shows in South Africa. Now, remember, we're guests here, so be on your best behavior."

:}

Probably a few more mistakes in this one, cause I got distracted part way through the last edit. Still, we're getting to the point where time might slip a bit, so we can let them slowly develop a relationship based on trust, understanding and forgiveness. Good thing Tori didn't have her phone with her in the bathroom, huh?

So review, or comment, or whatever, cause I wanna know what you thought. Also, what mistakes did I make?

Also, who could that old man in white at the Vatican have been?


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.

:}

Despite their feelings of being props, tools in someone propaganda display, and a going away party involving more then a little vodka, they managed to get out of Russia and on to the African part of the tour without too much trouble. "Okay, we have ten shows in Africa, and I think it'll be a blast. Just, we're not driving through anything for these, so we have a plane chartered, and we're using bare bones sets." Trina instructed everyone. We start with Morocco, and go from there. We end with two shows in South Africa. Now, remember, we're guests here, so be on your best behavior."

They also had to deal with the paparazzi reports of Tori getting drunk in Russia. As with anything where the press gets pictures and no contexts, the gossip columns were ablaze with theories, including Tori still pining for Beck, or her secretly having a drinking problem, to Tori having a clandestine affair with some hot Russian millionaire. Most were easy to ignore, but once again Robbie Shapiro got too close for comfort.

"Tori Vega, who was once a very dear friend, has a hard time accepting that Beck Oliver was using her. This columnist had to put personal feelings aside to cover this story, where Beck's actions had left her with no choice, forcing poor Tori to break her own heart and leave him. A decision she probably had to make just to save herself from whatever bad behavior Beck was showing, something we won't know that hurt her to the point where she couldn't take it any more. And it did hurt, we can see it in her actions in London, and her clinging to her actions in Germany. It hurt that poor, poor girl so much, so badly, that she got caught 's seeking solace in vodka. Three drunken nights out for a singer known for her controlled behaviors. Tori, talk to me, what did that bad men make you do?" The star of Robbarazzi said, before moving on to who was having who's baby. It cast a shadow on the whole African shows.

The shows in Africa were fun enough, but a new problem was starting to show itself. As happens after Tori gets drunk, she starts thinking about things she'd been avoiding. Only this time, as time went on, Beck slowly started slipping from her mind, being replaced by something new. Strange thoughts that the singer hadn't quite understood were making themselves known to her. Strange feelings for her bodyguard, Jade, started to manifest themselves in thoughts, usually nothing more then the desire to think about the dark haired beauty. Ir was like she'd been obsessed with her new friendship but had been to preoccupied to notice. It wasn't until that friendship was gone, ever so temporarily lost in their tour of Russia, that Tori had an inkling of how much she'd been thinking about the other girl.

The female bodyguard had been acting as professorial as possible, keeping her relationship with Tori strictly business. Tori, however, had pushed for a friendship throughout their time in Europe, only letting it drop once they'd gotten to Russia. There, everyone was on alert, despite the locals doing a very good job of watching out for their well being, and if forced to admit it, Tori would add their comfort. During that time, they'd all agreed to keep the bodyguard relationships as professional as humanly possible. Jade took to the arrangement quickly and easily, while the singer struggled, but let it be. Now, however, they were in Africa, and the singer had shifted directions again. And once again, she was dragging her reluctant bodyguard along for the ride.

"Jade, will you do me a solid?" The singer had asked once they'd settled in to their room in Morroco. "I've sent Kasey out for some water, and I realized I really need some flowers to brighten up my room. Could you be a dove and run out and get some? You know, something local. Get some cash from Andre and get me some, okay?"

"I'm not supposed to leave you alone." The bodyguard protested.

"But I won't be leaving the hotel, and I have both Bill and Ron right here. Pleeese?" The singer begged. "Otherwise I'll just have to go out and get some myself, and I have all this stuff to do to get ready for the show..."

Grumbling, the raven haired girl slipped out of the room to get some local flowers, something pretty, so Tori could have a brightened room. After picking up the flowers and carrying them back to her client, Jade realized she was seen carrying a bouquet of flowers to Tori's room. 'What the chiz is she up to?' The bodyguard wondered.

As if having the blue eyed girl run errands like that wasn't enough of a hint that something had change in Tori, there was the flirting. It wasn't overt, nothing as direct as running her foot up the other girls leg. Instead, it was a lot of double entendre and similar language, saying things she didn't quite mean that made the bodyguard feel uneasy. "Jade, if things go bad, you'll jump on top of me, right?" The starlet asked. "I mean, thats what the secret service does for the president, right?" They'd been walking back from breakfast with the whole cast and crew.

"My fist objective is to make sure your safe, then I'll get you out of the area." The blue eyed girl assured her.

"I'm glad it'll be you on top of me." The singer said, smiling. "You weight less then Ron or Bill, and I only see Andre as a friend."

Jade did a double take at that statement, but the pop princess had already moved on to the next question. "So, see anything you like?" The starlet asked. "Or do we need to find an alternative for lunch? I mean, what could we eat?"

"You're doing that on purpose, Vega." The bodyguard growled.

"And you have to stand there and take it." Tori teased. "Relax, we're in a beautiful country..."

"Where they still have wild animals large enough to eat you.." Jade finished. "So lets keep on our toes."

"Okay, I'll do that." The singer said. "In the meantime, you watch my ass, okay?"

"Thats my job." The bodyguard muttered.

The singer stopped to shake her rear at the raven haired girl. Then she gave out an evil smile and walked off to her room to get ready for that days adventure.

It turned out that being a world famous celebrity wasn't the same everywhere you went. In some places, the locals treated you just like everyone else, and for those places, Tori could go out and sight see. And since the entire crew was traveling by plane while their equipment was being shifted for the next tour, she felt like going out as a group to further bonding. The problem was her security was always around her. That, and her need to be there for her fans. When they did find a fan or two, Tori would take the time to pose with them, show them some attention, and in general show she wasn't too big to spend some time with the people. Jade and the security force, however, were constantly on watch for anything that could be a threat, or problem, or too big a distraction.

Jade's next problem was the number of people around them, in Africa, who were armed. She wasn't worried about the police, who seemed okay to carry fully automatic weapons with them, but the locals got her attention. There were a lot of knives carried around, as well as other weapons. Maybe it was because knives are tools, and they need them, but she saw threats everywhere, and reacted.

"Jade, relax, they don't have that many knives here." Andre assured her. "You just caught a couple of tribal groups, and they sometimes carry knives. It's okay. Tori has a lot of fans."

"And it's my job to make sure those fans don't try anything, like carrying her off into the desert, or cutting a part of her off as a souvenir." The blue eyed girl replied.

"The locals are not like that." Dre insisted. "We just need to be ready for possible threats, someone agitated, or otherwise acting strange. Keep your cool, and let her be the star she is. We have a guide with us to make sure she doesn't promise to be someone's wife or something."

"I just hope we don't have this problem in Asia." Jade mumbled.

"Which part?" Dre asked. "We have two shows in the middle east, and thats where we'll be keeping our eyes open. One in Saudi Arabia, a command performance, will be handled with extreme care. Then we have Dubai, followed by a few shows in the local islands, multiple shows in Asia proper, and then a few in Oceania. Trust me, we're gonna finish this soon, and then back to the Americas, where we have South and Central America, Canada, then back to the states for the last long led of the tour."

"At least we're getting more days off in between, right." The female bodyguard remarked. "We need it."

"Yea, but don't let Trina know that." He said, laughing. "She doesn't like too many days off. To her, we need to be making money. A show every night. No exceptions."

In the office area, Ryder was listening in over his radio link, as was Trina. "So, why the heavy touring schedule?" Ryder asked Trina. "We could get away with a much easier schedule, and still make a lot of money. Or is this her need to be seen by her fans. Can't stand that some of her fans won't be able to see her perform?"

"It was in her original contract." The manager said, looking out the window. "This is the last album, the last tour, of her original contract, and they wanted her performing her ass off for every dollar they paid her. So I made them pay us. Her next contract's gonna be easier for her. I know she wants a family, to do more movies. I'm gonna look after her, let her have an easier time for the future. Only perform if they can guarantee we'll make a lot of money."

"And her fans?" He asked

"They'll be able to see her, on line, or in person, as she tours." The Latina said. "But I feel that she's more then given back to them. No, my concern, like it's always been, is making her the biggest star I can, and unfortunately, even with the stake we have in this tour, she'll make a hell of a lot more money selling her music on line and using a television show of some sorts to support her career. So the next goal is to build her resume as an actress, making movies and maybe the right reoccurring role on a television series. Maybe, if we're lucky, it can be a showcase where she can debut new music periodically, support by on line videos and live performances on televised shows. With luck, we'll sell enough copies of her music, as well as other, supporting media, to more then make up the revenue lost from not touring as much. And when we do tour, it'll be more targeted, managed tours, hitting fewer cities and places. That way we can make each performance more of a special occurrence, which would help sell the movies we'll make of those tours. And as an extra, for her fans, they'd be able to buy the CD or download of the concert movie, and have her performances saved forever. Trust me, I've thought a lot about this, and I'm working on it. It's just, with everything else, especially the image I've worked so hard on, we'll have to make a lot of adjustments. Unfortunately, her girl next door, easily accessible image gives people the wrong idea, and we need to ween her off of the open to random strangers policy she has."

Ryder just watched the woman he had come to love talking about her plans for her sisters future. 'It's the right thing to do, for Tori, but is it what she'll think is the right thing? Tori seems to live for her fans. Then again, with someone like Beck playing with her mind, it's easy to see how having thousands of people screaming your name could make a difference. Probably feels like love to her.' He thought.

Meanwhile, Andre was working up the courage to have a more personal conversation with his friend and employer. 'Tori, we gotta do something about the games your playing.' He practiced in his mind. 'We have a layover day coming up. I'll talk to her then.' But things kept getting in the way, so he just never had the chance to talk to her about teasing jade. The best he could do was try and keep more then one person around Tori, so the raven haired beauty had some reprieve from Tori's new attatude.

/

After the South African tour, as they were taking that promised layover day before flying out to the middle east, most of the people on the tour found themselves around their computers, watching as Robbie Shapiro did a special report. Yes, Robbie, the host of Robbarazzi, starring Robbie Shapiro, did a special on Tori, her music, and 'The ginger Fox Story', the movie she was starring in. A movie, coincidentally, scheduled for international release in just a couple months.

"As many of you know, Tori Vega played Ginger fox in the biopic about the troubles singer. I'd like to start by going over the similarities and differences between the two pop princesses." Robbie said as video played behind him and kinda to his side. They had two films of what was essentially the same thing, one of Ginger doing one of her performances, and another of Tori mimicking the same performance. The only sounds were of Robbie and his usual background noises. "Lets start with appearance. Tori is about the same height, but a thinner body type, more classically beautiful. Ginger is blond, gives off a much more sexual vibe, and is what many man wish they had, even if only for a night. Since the movie doesn't go too into her status as a sex symbol, it doesn't matter. Still, Miss Vega did an excellent job of burying her usual innocent vibe to look as much like the embattled singer as she could."

"Next," He continued, "Lets look at where they really matter. Ginger was known for her video's, mostly because her stage shows were forgettable. She got famous young, never had the talent or ambition to back up the fame and fortune her manager succeeded in acquiring for her, and thanks to auto-tune, never needed the singing voice. Tori, on the other hand, is a gifted singer, dancer and actress who can cover just about every talent Ginger was supposed to have but didn't."

He stopped to take a drink, Gingers comeback performance is now playing in the background. "Look, you can see the dancers moving her around the stage. And look at the smoke. Makes it kinda hard to see how she keeps forgetting the lines to her own song." Rob quipped. "Tori would never forget the lyrics to a song, and thats made this performance, in the biopic, really hard to watch." A smuggled out loop of footage from her version of that performance played in the background. "See how they removed dancers and cut down on the smoke, making her dancing that much more obvious. And the dancers, they're dancing with her, not around her. She doesn't need them to move her into place. Thats cause Tori can perform. Got it? Good. Now, the next thing to look at is image.."

"I think we've seen enough." Trina said, getting everyone's attention. They'd put it up on a big screen television in one of the rooms, where Trina had gone to try and asses the damage this report would cause.

"I doubt it." George, one of the dancers, said. "I've heard a rumor that he alludes to something during the show that will be a major scandal."

"Pa-leeze." The manager said. "I highly doubt he has anything like that."

"We'll, since we're staying in tonight, can we watch it anyways?" Tori asked. "I'm looking good in this."

After a bit, they got to the supposed scandal, and it was everything Robbie'd promised. "According to an inside source no longer with the Vega camp, Tori's sister, Trina, has orchestrated and controlled every facet of her sister career." The nerdy looking host said. "I knew Tori, and while the girl next door image is close to her own, I for one believe the source. The biggest reason, she dated Beck Oliver for ten years, and they weren't really that close. My source goes on to say that Trina Vega, who we recall is Tori's sister AND manager, held Mister Oliver down to further her and Tori's careers. Now I for one can say that never happened. Mister Oliver, while a talented enough actor, just rubs people the wrong way, and even in Hollywood, that kind of behavior can lead to no longer being used as a main attraction. Diva's take note. If you have too much attitude, then you'd better be worth the effort, cause they have plenty of other faces to bank on. Now, back to Tori, and the allegations about her sisters influence on her career. I do agree that Trina did control events around her sister, to the point where the very talented Tori Vega could well have been just another girl and still had some major measure of success. In that respect, her and Ginger were practically managed by the same team. Lets look at some footage..."

"Beck..." Trina growled. Robbie droned on in the foreground, gong over some footage of Tori's early public appearances, and pointing out how Trina was always in the background, controlling how she was perceived, the message the singer sent with her actions, even the little things like how Tori's relationship with Beck might have protected her from many of the users that would date up and comers like her.

"Besides, America loves a power couple, and Trina Vega gave us one to root for. Too bad Beck's become the very kind of man she'd intended to protect her sister from.." Robbie was saying.

"It's okay." Ryder said, wrapping his arms around the manager. "It's nothing we can't recover from. Yes, Robbie has it, which means that DirtNow has it, and we'll be dealing with it for the foreseeable future. But we'll take it, and just push past it. They can't hurt us now. Not like that."

"We'll see." The manager said, watching the screen as Robbie went back to the movie, and pretty much buried Ginger Fox over her complete lack of talent.

The middle east was a break from the norm, with Tori playing two shows there for the locals, both under careful watch from the promoters. It seemed, in some countries, the religious police would arrest everyone at a concert. So when they were in _Saudi_ Arabia, they were taken to the dessert where a tent had been set up for them to perform an underground show. The audience was divided, with women on one side, and men on the other, and all of them anxious to see Tori perform. The cast and crew of Tori's show were allowed to set up, adjust the lighting and other effects as they needed, then went directly from a quick sound check into performing.

Trina watched from the side of the stage, absorbing every reaction from the fans in attendance. At one point, during a costume change, one of their hosts came back stage to greet the starlet. That had everyone on edge, with memories of the abduction attempt months ago surfacing in their minds.

"I was wondering if I could say hello to Miss Vega, or would you rather we wait for the after party?" He asked, his interpreter right behind him. Since he spoke perfect English, Trina was left wondering what purpose that woman possibly served.

'Wait, a woman?' She thought, taking a better look at the figure under the concealing clothing. Only it wasn't some coverall sack this woman was wearing, but a long, somewhat form fitting long sleeved dress. She had it open, just a touch, along the front revealing a second, more colorful dress of similar length under it. 'And who knows what else?' Trina realized. Her hair was covered, but not her face. It was her eyes, however, that gave everything away.

She was alert, watching, in many ways like Jade. "I totally understand if Miss Vega isn't able to sign an autograph right now. I'd hoped to beat the crowds." The host added, smiling.

Trina whispered something in Ryder ear, causing him to take a second look at the interpreter. "I don't mean to pry..." Ryder started.

"No worry, I can assure you, I take no offense at the way you're looking at my interpreter." Their host said. "Actually, I'm impressed. Most people would never have noticed the gun. You, my friend, are very observant. You, and that blue eyed girl who's been conveniently near by the entire time. I couldn't help noticing she'd picked up on who the threat was too. Faster, I'd say, then ever you."

After a moment of silence, one that was strangely comfortable, their host and his interpreter left to go back to their seats, letting Trina know that attendance to the after party was now mandatory. But despite feeling like something bad could happen at any moment, she needed to speak to Jade, fast, about what that woman standing in their hosts shadow was doing carrying a weapon.

"She's his bodyguard." Andre clarified, as soon as the two women had gotten together to speak. "A capable woman who can blend into the background is valued here, and one who can protect their employer is doubly so. I had no idea the Saudi's were using them, I just knew a woman who is willing to work in these conditions can make some serious bank. But they'd have to be experts in hand to hand, speak a couple of languages, and be ready to play the quiet, obedient follower until they were needed to take charge."

"Oh..." Jade said, watching her boss look just a bit nervous. "Wait, whats up? Is this about the abduction attempt… No, that no longer your concern, is it. Whats up?"

"He was sizing you up." Trina replied. "I think he may want to hire you."

"Don't worry, I doubt I'd want to work in a country where women can't drive." The raven haired girl said, smiling.

But Trina was still nervous. 'I've heard that some of these guys, they pay heavy salaries for women to guard their wives. Jade doesn't know yet how much this man's offering...'

A bit later, at the short after party, more of a meet and greet where the guests could get a few moments speaking with the pop princess, the host pulled Andre, and Jade, aside. "I was wondering, how capable is your girl here?" He asked the dark skinned head of security.

"We've had no complaints." Andre replied. "Why?"

"I was talking with my interpreter, and she thought, if your girl was willing, maybe they could figure out how good your girl is. I'm always looking for a proper addition to my camp, and from what I've read, she'd very loyal. I'd just need to know she was up to my needs." The Arab man explained. "Of course, to preserve modesty, she'd be tested by my bodyguard, and only in the presence of women. If she met muster, we offer fair compensation. Upwards of half a million dollars per year, if she has the right skills."

Jade wanted to say something, but she knew her place. Or rather, she'd been informed of when and how she'd be allowed to speak to the men here, and knew enough not to speak unless she was spoken to first. And she also knew that this man would never speak to her without first getting permission from whatever male was accompanying her. So she waited for Andre to introduce them. Once that was done, she said "I'm not the sit by quietly type. I'm not sure I'd be able to stay silent when things were happening."

To her shock, it was his interpreter who spoke next. "I totally get that. When I was in the army, I had no idea I'd ever be out here, in the middle east, living under religious laws. But there are exceptions. I have a job, and as such I'm allowed to speak with my employer. He understands that I may need to take charge, and if it comes to that, he does what I tell him too. But I also swallow a lot of my opinions, cause their not needed. Then again, as a bodyguard, we do that all the time."

"I'm under contract with the Vega camp for a while yet." Jade offered.

"And you'd need to learn about four languages. Not as hard as you'd think, but being an interpreter is one of the excuses they use to keep us near by." The other woman said. "You kinda have to be able to do that job too."

"Sorry, not interested." Jade said, smiling.

'Then how about we just find out how good you are, you know, cause I think we both need to know." The ex soldier said.

"I'd like that." Jade replied. "But it'd have to be controlled, cause if either of us get injured, we'd be of less use to our employers."

"Then we'll just have to agree on a way for us to figure this out without seriously damaging one another." The Army vet said, smiling.

After the post performance party, the tour was allowed to go into the city and relax, maybe see some of the sights. There were a lot of rules for them to follow, but no one in the tour wanted to try anything in a country where they still sentence people to floggings and sometimes behead people. So after a bit of looking around, taking in the differences, the whole cast and crew bunker-ed down in their hotels for the night. They'd be flying out the next day, some time in the late morning.

After a surprisingly restful nights sleep, Jade found herself in a segregated part of the health center. Only women were allowed in there, except for cleaning, and that was done during the centers off hours, so she was able to work out without having to cover everything. She saw just how relaxed the women in that country got when not in public. There were girls swimming in bikinis, a wide variety of workout cloths, and even a gym where she could do her practice.

It was where she met the other female bodyguard for some light sparring.

The fist part was feeling each other out, trying some quick moves to see what the other person would do. Jade saw her opponent seem to react to a feint, only to find herself pulling back as her hand was snatched. Shifting her hips, the tall bodyguard managed to get her hand free. 'Damn, I was hoping she'd try and hold on, so I could take her down.'

Jade was faster then this women, despite the other girl having military training. While Jade was able to maneuver her into a variety of situation, her opponent was very good at getting out of them. In the end, the thing that kept Jade from winning was a combination of her being unwilling to use full powered strikes, and this older woman's experience. Jade just lacked the combat experience that this woman possessed.

More then once, Jade would try to trick the vet into stepping into a hold or throw, anything where Jade could put her on the ground. Jade's strikes weren't hitting, not hard enough to get through the other woman's defenses. If the raven haired girl had stopped to think about it, she'd have realized that pulling her punches was costing her a fraction of a second on each blow, allowing her opponent to better redirect the impact. 'She must be able to read my moves.' The one time goth thought.

Of course, experience would have told her that her opponent wasn't seeing a tell so much as just knowing Jades style. The veteran could guess where each blow was gonna land, and react accordingly. Further, when Jade did mix things up, going for a grab when she faked a strike, her opponent would be able to quickly counter. The first time taught the taller girl a valuable lesson, she was up against someone well versed in the arts of submissions. Jade had to scramble to avoid the choke, and found herself forces back out of reach. 'Right, rely on strikes, not take-downs. She can reverse take-downs, put me in trouble.'

It took almost half an hour, and was watched by almost everyone who could spare the time. Jade was a trained grappler, experienced in cage fights, who knew her biggest strength was in her reach. She preferred to act as a striker, while sometimes relying on quick throws that took advantage of her skills while getting her out of reach from her foe as quickly as possible. The Army veteran was more of a submissions person, looking for some way to apply one of a thousand holds on her opponent to wear her down. Jade's skill, speed and one on one experience still took it's toll. The other bodyguard had to work slowly, carefully, to avoid being taken out while trying to take Jade down.

By the time they were done, both women were covered in sweat, panting from the exertion. Jade, however, fell for a quick switch movement that brought her falling backwards until she was held up by an arm wrapper around her neck. Jade was trapped, in a sleeper hold that surprisingly wasn't choking her out, but instead restricting the blood flow to her brain. She could feel the world getting hazy as she desperately tried to find any way out of the hold. But she was held up by her neck, and her legs, giving her zero leverage to break free. Reluctantly, she tapped. 'Might as well give the guys a lesson here, know when you're beat.' She would later remember that only the dancers, Tori, and Trina were there to see her fall.

"Okay, I won, but only cause you weren't expecting that trick." The army vet said. Jade was admiring her calmness. The army vetran wasn't unattractive, just not that attractive either. Plane, in phenomenal shape, but she didn't have the looks that the guys would come running to. "If you'd known that trick, I'd have lost. But thats the thing, it's not that common a trick. I faked you out and used that moment to get a hold of your arm. But I wasn't after your arm, I was after your neck, and just used that limb to get you closer. Most fighting schools teach you not to bother grabbing for the limb you don't want, cause you risk getting hit. I knew, however, I could control you once I got you, any part of you. And the dragon sleeper, it's really hard to get out of."

"You learned that trick in the army?" Jade asked.

"Four siblings, including three bothers and a hella bratty sister." The vet said. "I learned that out of self preservation. You can't always wait for your opponent to present the right target at you, and once you grab something, they're assuming thats what your gonna be damaging. Left you vulnerable for the switch, and that was all I needed."

Jade smiled. "So, why you working here?"

"The money." The vet said. "And you get a lot more respect, among your clients family, then most places. They're sexist, not stupid. They've very aware that I can break most men. So I'm valued for my skills, and for the fact that plenty of the people he does business with either think of me as nothing more then an accoutrement, or assume he doesn't think of me as anything more."

"So what are you gonna tell your employer?" Jade asked.

"That with the right language training, and a bit of cultural sensitivity, you'd be worth the money." The vet said.

"I'm Jade." The bodyguard introduced herself.

"Vicky." The veteran said. "Yea, don't laugh. You're boss has the same first name as I do. It's a common enough name."

"If you ever decide to take a pay cut in exchange for working with someone who'll drive you nuts, let me know." The blue eyed girl said. "Andre keeps saying he wants to add to security."

"I get over half a million dollars per year." The veteran told her. "Not gonna take a pay cut for more aggravation. I may be seen as almost property, but my boss knows when to listen to me. I've read the tabloids, seen Robbarzzi, and I know the kind of drama going on around your boss."

"Yea, but I had to ask." Jade said, smiling. "Look, I gotta go get dressed in far too much clothing so I can take a flight to another country where they'll ask me to wear much the same thing."

"Dubai is almost like here, but with a little more skin showing. Cover the knees and shoulders, and you should be fine." The veteran said. "Now I gotta go tell my boss your not interested in guarding his family. No biggie, they know how to take a rejection here. I just wish you'd accepted."

"Why?" Jade asked.

"There isn't another westerner in his home." The ex military girl said. "I'm allowed to watch all kinds of things, but I can;'t discuss most of them with his family. So I wanted someone to talk about whatever with."

"Sorry." Jade said, packing her stuff up and grabbing her outer wear so she could make it back to her room. "I'm traveling with the circus, not ready to give that up yet."

:}

Okay, lots of research went into this chapter, and I still could have gotten things wrong. I didn't pit too much of their adventures in Africa down, cause I covered what was going on. Tori isn't sure about her feelings fro jade, other then being sure their not romantic in nature. So instead, she's teasing the girl, just trying to get a reaction from the very professional woman. As for the middle east, I liked what I had them learn about the bodyguards. Turns out that women in that field can make a lot of money in that part of the world, as long as they can be passed off as something else, interpreters being fairly common.

So thoughts? Is Tori's new game gonna cause more problems? I'd love to know what you think. Also, lets hear it for Vicky.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters. No money is made by this story. Lucy Spiller and DirtNow magazine are the property of Fox entertainment, from the show "Dirt."

:}

They flew out of Saudi Arabia and into Dubai, where they were told about the dress codes, and how it was less restrictive then in Saudi Arabia, as well as how often those same codes were ignored, sometimes even by vacationing Saudi. Then, before they could leave the plane, Trina made her announcement.

"Okay everyone, listen up and listen good. I know a lot of foreign visitors to this country ignore the dress code. But we're not. In fact, I'm having Andre, Ryder and Jade check all your outfits before you head out anywhere, make sure it fits the dress code for the place your going. We're not just guests here, we're trying to build good relations, cause thats good business. Now that means that every single one of you is representing me, and you all know I can be your best friend, or a raving bitch. Lets get along, okay. And Ron, Bill, you both know there's a reason I'm not including you on dress code detail, right?"

Both men nodded, with Bill giving a slight blush. He couldn't for the life of him even glance at the dancers. Ron, for his part, knew it was more out of worrying that he might let his buddies among the roadies slide on something. The last thing he wanted was to be chewed out for allowing the guys to head out with illegal substances, something they'd be checking for while looking at the dress codes. After all, drinking in public spaces was still prohibited here, and Trina made it very clear she was holding her security responsible for the behavior of the crew. Ron just thanks his gods that he wasn't gonna be in trouble if his drinking buddies did something. 'Jade might kill them, but not me.' He reasoned.

After the warning, with full knowledge of just how bad it could be if they broke any of the rules, the cast and crew of Tori's show made their way into the city of Dubai, in the UAE. Thanks to the more moderate laws, less strictly held and more open minded interpretation of the religious rules, they were able to have an open air concert, secure that the religious police weren't gonna come drag them or their fans off. So hey enjoyed the sound check, a little sightseeing, then the show. It was surreal, and allowed everyone relief from the "new normal" of the middle east. The crowds were dressed in the local styles, but were also more relaxed, mixing and laughing and buying tee shirts. There was a heavy mix of foreign and locals at the show, which they were told befits the economy. Many Saudi who could afford to travel here for a weekend, but didn't have the right influence to catch their Saudi concert, had made the trip to see Tori perform here. That evening Tori's music filtered across the landscape, and everyone was enjoying themselves. Overall, a very good experience for the cast and crew.

Back at their hotel, after the show, Trina allowed Jade to take Tori up to the top observation deck, along with the rest of the pop princess permanent security and management. They'd snagged rooms in the Armani hotel, located in the bottom 39 floors of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building, the tallest artificial structure, in the world. Even the jaded New Yorker was interested in seeing the view from the upper observation deck, called the Sky level, and outside observation deck 1,821 feet in the air from the base of the building. Trina had gotten tickets on line, in advance, for them to see the view and feel what it felt like to be that high over the 27 acre park that surrounded the building, as well as the view of the 30 acre artificial lake sporting fountains as their main attraction, just a short distance from the hotels part.

"I thought you weren't that impressed by the view." Tori taunted her bodyguard.

"I wasn't." The blue eyed girl replied. "Not in Paris, where the Eiffel Tower just wasn't that high up. Lets face it, they have taller structures almost everywhere. We were what, nine hundred feet up? See that in New york all the time. But here, we're almost two thousand feet up, and thats a good hundred feet taller then anything in the Big Apple, and we're only on the observation deck. This building has another six stories of office space, plus mechanical and communication stuff that could let someone get all the way to the top, a good ninety or more feet up."

"How'd you know that?" The pop princess asked.

"They sell pamphlets with all that chiz on it at the desk, or you can always look on line." Jade said, but she was looking off into the distance. "They say that sometimes, in the right weather, you can see Iran from here." Through the darkness, they only saw the lights of whatever civilization was out there, in the distance. But it did make the city below them all the more beautiful, and the lights in the fountain that much more memorable.

"Okay, this is kinda cool." Tori admitted. "The view of the lake is breathtaking, and I like that your finally taking an interest in the things I like. Just, you know it's not just about the height. It's about the accomplishments of man. Kinda like in that movie, 'Michael,' with the not gay pilot Travolta in it. He, as the angel Michael, was adamant about how he had to see all these attractions, like the biggest ball of yarn, cause it was something humans accomplished."

"You know, you've accomplished a lot." Jade commented.

"I know that." The star snapped. "What makes you think I didn't?"

"Just something you'd mentioned, once upon a time." The bodyguard said, smiling. "Maybe I was wrong, and you just needed to be reminded, then, about everything you've built."

"What I need is for my bodyguard to appreciate the small things." The singer scolded. "The world is full of small wonders that just don't get the appreciation they deserve. Yes, I think my music can help the masses enjoy themselves, but sometimes I wish I could write a song, or something, to let everyone know just how special we are, and that there's these landmarks everywhere that proclaim just that. We were here, and we're special. We can achieve great things. Hell, we always have achieved great things. Take the..."

Trina's hand was on her sisters mouth. "You can't let her get going on things like that." The manager said, but there was no malice in her voice. "Tori will start thinking about those landmarks, the big ones and the little ones, then she'll write a song about it, and while 'Landmarks' was a hit, the one about the ball of yarn was never released. Mason ever suggested she get her head checked."

"Mason?" The raven haired girl asked.

"Head of our label." The manager replied. "Business driven, kinda cold, but we get along well enough. Tori and I made him enough money, so he should love us."

"I think I'm done looking off the edge of tall buildings." Jade sighed, moving to where she could protect Tori, but didn't look over the edge.

"I think we all are." Trina said. "Tori, no songs about the view. I don't know how to sell that."

"How about a song about human achievement?" The pop princess asked, and they shifted to look at some of the other sights. All of them knew the view was breathtaking, but they were almost done. It was time to relax and head back to their rooms.

The group headed to the elevators, stepping in and filling most of the twelve to fourteen person capacity. "Hay, at least it's an easy commute." Bill joked.

They got back to their rooms and settled in for the evening, knowing they'd be flying out the next day. That evening Jade went over everything that had happened over the last few days in her mind. How many things she hadn't expected to happen here, on the tour or in the middle east. But more then anything else, Jade couldn't help thinking of how it was that Bill got in the communing joke. That bothered her more then being scolded by her employer about missing out on the little things. 'When did he develop a sense of humor?' She wondered as she drifted off to sleep.

After stopping long enough to do a couple of shows in island nations, like Sri Lanka, they were ready to hit the rest of Asia, including multiple shows in India, as well as at least one show in twelve different other countries, plus a few more USO shows for the boys stationed In the deep pacific. Trina assured her sister that they'd be able to make enough money to justify the many poorer countries they visited. Mosley, the manager wanted to force their label to pay for the whole trip, and added as many shows as she could think to add.

In one of the smaller island nations, Tori had been invited to a party by one of the local elites, and felt it wouldn't be a bad idea to go. Trina was already going, cause this man had good contacts for them to use down the line. A surprising number of foreign money went into Hollywood productions, so Trina saw making friends here as an investment.

"So I'm coming too." Tori insisted.

"Then we'll have to bring Jade." Ryder said.

"I'll make the call, get the extra invitations." Trina chimed in. She hoped her sister didn't catch on how easily she'd given in.

"Why?" Tori asked. "Not that I don't like having her there to count my drinks and make sure I don't do anything that hurts the brand, but why do we need her there. Why aren't I asking if she can come?"

"This kind of party, it's full of powerful men who don't always understand that women have rights." Ryder tried to explain.

"Women have a lot of rights in various parts of the Middle East and Orient, but for many of the men we might be dealing with, too many, women would be seen as a conquest, a prize to be won." Trina added. "I know that a lot of these guys would never ask us to do anything we wouldn't want us to, but it's easier when we have someone there to watch our backs. Besides, the guy who tried to abduct you, this kind of party might offer him a shot."

"Um, boss, I just had a thought, maybe it'd be better for Bill or Ron, or better yet, Andre, to be there." Ryder said, now feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"Except they already know Jade's her bodyguard, and thanks to our experience in the Saudi Arabia, we know that female bodyguards exist, and can even be respected." Trina replied. "Now we just need to remind Jade she's the heavy, and ourselves that she's capable of handling this. So, Tori, Jade's your wing-man, only her job is to prevent you from hooking up. The anti-wing-man?" S smirk crossed her face.

"Just as long as she dressed appropriately, we're good." Tori said, smiling at her sister. "This party, it's gonna be so much fun."

"Yep." Her sister said. "This island is a much more liberal place, where people come for fun, so swimwear and flipflops are the dress code."

"I can't wait to tell Jade." Tori cooed. "Um, she has to dress to blend in, right? I mean, if I'm in a bikini, she has to wear one too, right?"

"Yes, I think thats a good idea." Ryder said. "But lets see if we can get Andre in too, just because he likes this kind of party."

"He's already on the list." Trina pointed out. "One of the counselors men partied with him a couple of tours back, and he's been a standard guest ever since."

Tori was shaking with excitement about the party, and telling her bodyguard just which suit to wear. 'I'll have to look over her stuff, find the right suit, but it'll be so much fun, us going out drinking again...'

"No." Jade said flatly upon being told what she'd be doing at the party. Or more specially, what she'd be wearing. "I'm gonna be there to keep you safe, and the last thing either of us need is some guy busy trying to score on me when you need me. Far better I go dressed in uniform, dress shirt, black slacks, and a coat hiding who knows what. That way, I'll have the whole don't mess with me vibe going, and can better step in the way of trouble."

"Okay, normally I'd totally agree with you, except for a few things." Andre said. He was there to keep things under control. "First, the councilman is ultimately responsible for security there, and he'd be in a lot of trouble if anything happened to Tori here. You're job is to protect her, but also to blend in, look like you belong. Hell, even Ryder and myself will be in beach wear. Trust me, I'm gonna look far less intimidating in my Hawaiian shirt. Second, in this heat, you'll be grateful for the swimwear. Take a light robe to toss over it, just to keep the sun off your skin, and walla, you're not gonna fry. Third, and this is totally important, you may need to follow Tori here into the pool. Councilman had a grotto made, like the one at the Playboy mansion, and it's swim in only. If she goes in there, you'll have to follow, just to protect her. We good?"

"This once only?" Jade asked her friend and supervisor.

"If I have any say about it, yea." Andre assured her. "Now go find a good suit."

"And let me have approval.." Tori called, then looked at her friend. "What? I want her to blend in, and she won't if she's in some granny suit." The head of security just rolled his eyes.

The party was uncomfortably boring, far too subdued for Tori's taste, with her benefactor throwing a party more for political gains then to have a wild party. The drinks were often more flavorful then alcoholic, and the locals showed a lot of respect. They may have some from a Male dominated society, but those guests were the main concern of the bodyguards, not the hosts. They'd even closed off the grotto so that no one would be out of sight from the lifeguards. Tori's only real thrill was the chance to walk around in swimwear for a couple of hours, enjoying warm weather and a beautiful view.

Of course, Tori would have been more then happy with this kind of party, except she was antsy. She felt the loss of another part of Beck, the idea of him being there for her. He was her edge, the one who pushed her past her normal boundaries, and while she hated that, she also missed the thrill she used to get when he didn't go too far. To make matters worse, she lost the argument with Trina, and Jade managed to find an almost covering one piece to wear. Tori had no idea why, but the fact that Jade managing to cover even an inch of that milky white skin annoyed her. She wanted midriff, and cleavage, and maybe just a bit more ass. Anything to make her feel more… 'What Tori? What do you want, a distraction? Maybe see how the men treat her, cause of that figure? I swear, why'd she have to have such nice curves?' But the pop princess suspected that wasn't it, cause she knew she'd have been even more upset if her bodyguard had been hit upon. But she pushed it out of her mind and tried to focus on having fun while Jade counted her drinks.

After that party, not everything was wine and roses on the tour. As a side effect of the implied repression of the Arab countries, once out in the less restrictive world again Tori ramped up her flirting, justifying it to herself as just games to keep her relationship with Jade interesting. Only now, the flirting wasn't the same, not as sedate, or as hidden, as it had been before. Jade blew it off as them developing a dynamic, with the care free Tori teasing the controlled, controlling Jade to try and loosen her up. It was getting bad enough that people decided to confront the singer on it. Unfortunate, as far as Andre was concerned, Trina got there first.

"You need to lay off this public behavior." The manager opened with. "It's unseemly for you to be carrying on like this."

"What behavior?" The singer asked. She'd sent Jade to go get some water for her, sending the raven haired bodyguard off with a slap to her ass.

"They way you've been treating Jade." The manager said.

"I don't see why?'" Tori replied, watching her sister as they were resting at the hotel after a show. "I mean, sure, if we believe her, Jade used to be a bad girl, all defiant and dangerous. But look at her now. She's into teamwork, and control. She's the authority figure keeping people from having fun. And somewhere on rout, she forgot how to have fun. I'm just trying to get her to loosen up."

"I just don't think it helps our image to have you flirting with her in public. Not with everything thats going on." Trina reminded the younger girl. "Tori, sista, we've come a long way, and if we're honest, Beck's becoming more and more of a problem." Jade returned with the water.

"Beck?" Tori didn't seem to get upset at his name, just more curious. She reached out and took her water, sparing a second for contact, touching Jade's hand, before removing hers to open the bottle and take a drink.

"He's been making the rounds, doing the talk shows, letting everyone know that what Robbie reported about your career being micromanaged was a lie, while doing it in a way that tells the press that he's trying to protect you, but doesn't believe it. He's trying to make everyone believe that I've held him down, even as I control every aspect of your life, and plotted your rise to megastardom." Trina explained.

"But is that true?'" Tori asked. "Is it true that you auditioned him?" There was hurt laying just under her question. She'd never confronted her sister about this, despite Beck having told her.

"Do you really want that answer?" The older girl asked.

Tori took a step back, trying to regain balance. "I-I don't know if I can trust you..." She stammered.

"I'm sorry, but at the time it made you more relatable. The female viewers weren't voting for you because they saw you as a threat, while the male viewers would vote for you anyways. I realized, however, that the one thing that people love is when there's a celebrity couple." Trina admitted. "After, it became a part of your image, and I was so sure he was gonna grow up, be the kind of man you deserved. Also, and lets not forget this, you loved him, you fell for his charms, so it became harder to break things off. In the end, I only acted when I found out..."

"I couldn't perform?" Tori was angry, pissed.

"That he was hurting you." Trina completed her thought. "Lets just get through this leg of the tour, and then, if you want, I'll leave, find you someone else to manage your career." It was as much to end the fight as anything else, but Trina was still protecting Tori's image. 'We'll let her decide...'

"Not sure I can take that many more shows where I can't trust my own sister." The pop princess spat, then she walked out of the room.

"I can't help remembering someone offering to cancel a show, with no thoughts about how much it would cost, because you were hurting." Jade said as she fell into step with the singer.

"So your on her side?" Tori glared at the bodyguard.

"Just pointing out that your wazzed, and when your upset, you may not be seeing the big picture." The blue eyed girl replied. "Think, her stated goal is to make you the biggest star she could, and she's been doing it for a long time. Yes, and don't interrupt, Beck was a mistake made for about a decade. But she's also made you a star across multiple continents, and your breaking into movies and television. And, according to Ryder, she's been planning for you to shift modes, make a lot more cash as you take the time you'd need to have a family. Sounds to me like she got caught in a learning mistake, one I made too. Then again, maybe I have empathy for her, cause Beck dumped me the same day I fought his battle for him, the one with the boyfriend of a girl he tried to cheat on me with."

"Right, your not very bright." Tori sneered, only for her face to contort, just for a moment. "And neither was I when I was with him. So yea, I get your point, but you've all but admitted she's controlled every facet of my life for a long time."

"And she's trying to both give you what you've always dreamed about, and give you the freedom to have whatever life you want now." The raven haired girl pointed out. "It's not my job to tell you..."

"Then don't." The starlet cut her off. "And I'm planning on a party once we get through the next set of performances. You'll be wearing a bikini, maybe..."

"Maybe?" Jade asked.

"Right place, I'll have you in just the bottoms." Tori's sneer started shifting to a smirk. "Trina may pay you, but you work for me. Got it. And don't worry, I won't put you in anything less then I'm wearing."

"Okay, I just caught the end of that, but I'm thinking, in a hotel hall like this, you might be wanting to be careful what your saying." Andre commented. He'd shown up right at the end of Tori's tirade against Jade. Now he was in damage control mode. "So, trouble with you and Trina?"

"I'm pissed at her, probably gonna be for a long time, but I still want her managing my career." Tori said to her friend. "Just, and you be surer to tell her this, I'm included in all decisions about my career. All of them. If I'm gonna be wearing a new consume on stage, I want to know the choices, meet the designers, all of it. And I want to go to more parties where I'm not the good fucking girl next door, where I can cut loose and wear a suit that has less material then a pair of mens shorts, and costs more then an average car. And for the love of all thing, someone get me a picture of Jade's ass." She glanced at the bodyguard. "What? You're always watching mine, I figured it's only fare I get to do the same."

"Yea, lets find a way to phrase that in a less sexual harassy kind of way." Andre suggested. Tori rolled her eyes, dismissing her friend with a wave of her hand. Knowing what he had to do next, he walked away from her and headed to the office to report to his boss. "Trina, good news and bad news. Okay, there really isn't any bad news, except maybe it is, and you'll hate it. But.."

"Spit it out already." Trina shot. "Am I fired or not?" She just looked tired.

"Tori wants her sister managing her career, just, she wants a lot of input on what goes on." The dark skinned man said. "She's pissed, wants input on everything..."

"Okay, lets CC her on every important email.." Trina said as she opened her Pearpad and started redirecting the mail.

"And she's sexually harassing Jade." He added. "Again."

"She's just pissed." Trina assured him. "And maybe Jade stood up for me? I don't know."

"Point is, this isn't working." Dre said. "Either they start getting closer, or we'll have problems."

"On it." The older girl replied. "Damage control. I'm on the damage control. I'll have to wait a bit for her to be less pissed at me for the other, but I'mon the damage control. Just…. I need to make a call. Given the time differences between here and L.A., I'll need to make it some time tomorrow, maybe around fiveish..."

"Tell Malcolm." Andre said, smiling. "Or maybe Ryder..."

Trina rounded on him, her eyes serious. "You don't get to judge." She hissed.

"Not judging, just saying." He smiled, hands up in a defensive, surrender position. "And as for the Tori thing, I think I'm next to talk to her. Once she's had a chance to calm down."

"Didn't you just talk to her?" The manager asked, but she was already focusing on what she had to do to protect her sister. The head of security just excused himself to go plan on how he was going to protect Tori's image and keep her from getting sued by the very girl who was supposed to step in between her and any danger.

It was just about nine AM Los Angeles time when Lucy Spiller's personal phone started ringing. The editor too the time to look over the caller id before answering, but wasn't too worried when she didn't recognize the incoming number. Hers was a private number, one that only those she worked with, including her snitches, knew about. "Lucy Spiller, managing editor of DirtNow magazine." She answered.

"Lucy, it's Trina. Vega. I was hoping you could put your tabloid hat aside for a moment and give a friend some advice." The manager said. She managed to keep her voice neutral, almost hopeful, not letting her friend have any idea what she might really want.

"Trina, still employed? According to my little snitch, you've been manipulating Tori's entire career, and she was none to please by that." Lucy said. "A woman after my own heart."

"I offered to resign, but Tori told me, as mad as she is, she knows I've always looked out for her best interests. No, I've got two, unrelated problems, and I need advice." Trina repeated. "I hope you can keep this between us."

"Lets see what you're hiding, and I'll let you know if it's too juicy" The tabloid journalist said, and she felt herself getting just a touch intrigued. 'She's never called me for advice. This is either really big, or she's gonna use me to plant a story.'

"Okay, first, I've been boinking my bodyguard." Trina decided to go with the story that wouldn't make a difference. Despite the heavy coverage Beck had been giving her relationship with Tori, she wasn't the story. Never was. However, Lucy's gasp was enough to let her know this could be something. "I'm trying to decide how to proceed."

'She's testing me. She's fucking testing me…' Miss Spiller thought, her mind racing with the problem of dealing with this admission. "Up until recently, you hadn't been a public figure for about what, ten years?" Lucy said slowly, measuring her response. "Long term bodyguard? I'd say make him head of security, and maybe, if you want to, find another way to keep him. Just FYI, it's stupid, or as Beck would say, jank, to be nailing the guy you're expectation to step in the way of a threat."

"Thanks for that. I've already got a head of security, but I'm sure I could come up with something new." Trina said, smirking. "The other thing is Tori's picking up some bad habits from her new boy. He's always referring to her bodyguard, the hot girl, in derogatory ways, and he's convinced her that's the right way to speak to her. I'm worried that Tori, who'd never do anything to hurt anyone, might be sexually harassing the help."

"Wait, Tori has a new guy in her life?" Lucy said, barely catching herself. 'It's a trap. Definitely a trap…' She took in a breath. "Why hasn't anyone seen this new guy."

"Jade's been escorting Tori out more then Andre used to, what with the better security, so she's had plenty of chances to meet new people while out and about." Trina said, listening for any clue as to her friends reaction, not regretting her actions. "Tori met him while out, doing whatever, maybe even at a club or something. Beck did leave her with a taste for the wild side. Okay, wild for Tori, but anyways, they met, and he has the resources to travel, visit, so they've been seeing each other. You know, on the QT. No story, just a rebound relationship. But she's picking up bad habits. I need to find a way to break her of those habits before she loses a loyal, capable bodyguard. And as you've pointed out, I'm still in the doghouse. Any suggestions?"

"This is the kind of thing that tabloids like to jump on as a gateway to tearing someone like Tori down a peg." Lucy warned. "I'll bet there are already pictures of her, and this guard, as well as rumors." She pulled up a picture they'd run just a day before of the two girls, Tori and Jade, in tight clothing, at a party in Sri Lanka held by some local celebrity. "Wait, I seem to remember that this girl. Isn't she one of Beck's ex's."

"Yes, the one thrown off of American Voice for fighting, protecting Beck from a dork who thought he was hitting on that guys girl." Trina smiled. 'Now, Beck, I get a shot in on you.' She thought before continuing. "I had her assigned to someone else, me, while Beck was around, given their history. She told me, about that part of her history, and I made damn sure it didn't interfere in their lives. But Beck went and ruined things all on his own."

"What are you inferring?" Lucy asked. Curiosity was drawing her out, despite her own suspicions about Trina's motives. 'After all, if she wanted to plant a story that hurt Beck, she'd have called that tool, Shapiro, by now.'

"We had an agreement to keep it between us, but you know the kind of guy Beck is." Trina gossiped. "Just like you know Beck is doing everything in his power to make it seem like he's being the bigger guy and not admitting what really happened."

"So you admit to manipulating public opinion?" The editor asked.

"It was a competition, with the public voting people off." Trina said. "Of course I was manipulating their opinions. And I've done a little ever since. What else would you expect from a good manager? But I never exaggerated who or what Tori was, just presented my sister, the ultimate fucking girl next door, as what she is. Go ahead at tell the world that. I made myself the but of the jokes for the first five shows, just to make her look better by comparison. Cause you know what? That gave her enough time for them to figure out how fucking talented she was."

"Like she wasn't going to win..." Lucy remarked.

"Have you seen Jade's audition tape?" Trina asked. "Look it up, see what Beck's philandering cost us, and tell me that I wasn't justified in what I did."

"She could sing?" Lucy asked.

"Still can, when Tori blackmails her into entertaining us." The manager girl lied. 'Other then that tape, which I don't even have, I don't know of a single place to hear her sing. So naturally, I haven't heard her sing yet, but I think maybe Tori has. No matter, time to finish this.' The Latina thought. "But she was an actress too, before her sense of right and wrong got her in trouble for helping someone. So now she's a bodyguard, cause of her fucking black belts. That right, plural, one in Jujutsu, and another in some form of kickboxing. Girls a threat. Guess thats why we're so happy to have her as Tori's personal bodyguard."

"You sure it's a boyfriend?" Lucy asked. "Robbie thinks Tori's gay. It would explain the sexual harassment."

"And now I have to call Robbie, chew his ass off." Trina groaned. "And Lucy, please, lets keep all of this between us, okay?"

"Oh, you know me, Trina," Lucy was smirking, almost unable to contain herself, "wouldn't say a word."

Seconds later, as Lucy was calling in her staff to explore what she'd just learned, and how to make the most out of Trina's confessions, Tori's manager was making another long distance call. "Rob, don't speak yet, just listen." Trina started. "Tell me what the fuck your obsession with the gays is?" So started another conversation both knew was going nowhere.

:}

Okay, who can point out the big move this chapter. Trina thinks politically, and isn't afraid to take on for the team. But will her outing her relationship with Ryder help her sister? What has she done? And who else wants a picture of Jade's ass?

Special thanks to Lucy Spiller, for making a guest appearance in this story, direct from her Fox series "Dirt." Her input is valued. Then again, so is yours. Tell me what you thought about this chapter. Thoughts, theories, whatever, I'll take them. Review and let me know.

Thanks again to everyone who read this far. See you next time.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters. I don't get anything for writing this, save your reviews.

:}

The good thing about Tori performing angry was she exhausted herself on stage, only having the energy to insist that Jade be the one to carry her to and from the car. But the singer was feeling a bit better as time went on. She was hurt, because to her mind Trina had manipulated her. She could see it was in her best interest, but it still hurt to be played like that. To make things worse, Tori suddenly was given carbon copy emails of every decision that Trina felt she should have a say in. Venue changes, vender issues, Tee shirts, merchandising, and a host of things Tori wished she'd never knew existed. 'She does that much? This can't be on a daily basis.' The singer moaned as she went through the next set of emails.

It only took a couple of days before Kasey found herself with the job of wadding through the various emails and business issues and giving the pop princess a synopsis. The assistant was both happy, cause Tori had been relying on Jade more and more to do a lot of the things she was supposed to, and upset, cause this was a lot of work to get through. It seemed to the assistant that Trina and Malcolm were riding herd on a whole load of people hell bent on changing the rules as they went along. While a lot of the stuff the proper reaction was to just ignore it, or tell the other party to stick to the original contracts, Trina did have to work with a lot of people to keep the concert experience as smooth as possible for the fans, the band, and Tori. Trina also seemed to have to stay on top of every performers rider, since the venues didn't always pay attention. There were emails reminding people about water brand preferences, what kinds of foods were appreciated, and who had what kind of food allergies. 'Condoms? The band has how many fudging condoms at every show? How could they use that many?' Tori wondered, one again reminded that her band may have other things they did beyond playing for her.

Seventeen shows in Asia, including a couple for the USO, and they were on their way to Oceania. They would be flying everywhere in this region, so they had a layover day between each performance, necessary for them to recover, as well as giving them time in case something interrupts the flight schedule. All kinds of things including weather and airport conditions could interfere with their flights, so they needed the extra time. It also allowed for most of their sets to either be sent home for the north American tours, or be flown out ahead of them to the next venue for the show. She had a lot of stuff moving about now, and needed to give time for things to get there and get set up. And again, it seemed that Trina stayed on top of all of that, from what Tori was getting in her daily reports.

Even with the layover days, it was exhausting. Tori had to reducing the teasing of her bodyguard just to keep sane, instead allowing their circumstances do it for her. This was done so by insisting they go places where the attractive, blue eyed girl would be asked to "Blend in." That would often mean she was dressed in swimwear, like Tori, while the other guards were allowed to wear suits, or other appropriate cloths. Tori seemed to love relaxing on beaches or similar places, almost as much as she loved being there for her fans. So naturally, Tori would decide to sign autographs, give back to her fans, and Jade would have to help control the crowds wearing nothing more then a bikini chosen by her employer. Then, Jade would be subjected to the crowds during said autograph signings. The situation was getting worse, until in a hotel in Sydney, where they were resting after a beach trip, Jade was ready to scream. She was holding it in, barely.

"We'll, people here do give us our space on the beaches." Bill commented. Some of the beaches near Sydney were world famous, and apparently the natives knew to give celebrities a bit of privacy. That was, until they got back, and Tori decided to give her fans a moment and sign autographs.

"But I was in this, three strategically placed post it notes, and we were dealing with autographs outside the hotel." Jade growled.

"It's why we get the big bucks." Andre said, still smiling. "Um, Jade, If I can get her to lay off, let you do your job, would you be willing to do me a favor or two?"

"I'm not liking the direction this conversation is taking." Jade replied. She knew he meant well, but was too frazzled to be nice.

"Just a couple of things to help Tori." He insisted. "Nothing you'd object to, hopefully. I need your help, both as a bodyguard, and as a woman."

"What?" Her interest was peaked, even if her tone was still to sharp.

"You remember Japan?" He asked. "That was a trip, how the fans just lined up in specific places, were so polite, never gave us any trouble."

"You're point?" The raven haired girl asked. But that memory was calming her down.

"I've noticed we haven't been stalked once, the entire international tour. Once we left the U.S., we've been only dealing with the normal shit. Overexcited fans that need to be deescalated, the occasional person who needs to be walked away, and threats that were never intended to be threats, like that girl who hugs your head off." The dark skinned man pointed out. "Beck in the states, before you came on, we had us a stalker, and when we realized this was an organized attack, we checked things out, heard it was some middle eastern guy with cash who wanted her as part of his harem."

"But if that was the case, why not make his move now, while we're close." Jade finished for him. "Japan would have been a bad idea, cause of how organized everyone is."

"Except that the Yakuza, for money, could arrange some kind of distraction, maybe a gang fight just down the street, and herd us into a trap where the guys hired for the kidnapping were waiting." Dre said. "We think strategically, cause we have too, and I spent a great deal of time coming up with a counter to just that scenario. I'll bet you'd have too, if you'd been in my position. But we didn't have that happen, or anything, really. I don't even get the feeling we're being watched. Well, not any more then normal. So I'm thinking, given how unstable some of the places we're going are, that this would be the best place to make an attempt. But we're safe, cause the guy behind this is in the U.S."

"And he's had months to plan is next move." Jade added. "Great. That means, among other things, that as soon as we're back in the states, we're targets." Andre started to speak, but she cut him off. "No, as soon as we're back in the Americas, cause then we'd be close, and as stable as South America has become, it's still the best place to make a move like that."

"And I need you to help me convince Trina, cause in some of those countries, we'll need extra men, just to be sure nothing bad happens." Andre said. "Jade, will you help me convince Trina? I've been having this argument with her forever, and we keep running into the Tori wall. But I have a way around this..."

"We get the promoters to add a bit of local security for us while we're in that country." Jade said, catching on. "That was what you were gonna say, right? Cause thats about the only situation I could see Tori agreeing to, and the promoters would be invested in making sure she was okay, had the best experience." He nodded, smiling. "Then again, she'd have to cut down on her side excursions, only go out with a group. I suppose we could pretend one of the security guys was a tour guide..."

The both agreed to talk to Trina about their suspicions. Andre, as the head of security, was going to approach first, with Jade there as confirmation. It wasn't hard to find her. "Trina, we've been talking about the tour, and Jade here has an interesting theory."

"Really?" Trina asked. Oddly, she seemed very interested in what they'd been talking about. She addressed the black haired bodyguard. "So what've you come up with?"

"I was just talking with Dre here about the attack that led to me getting hired, and I mentioned that the theory that everyone had, it's wrong." Jade started. "It couldn't be a middle eastern man of wealth, cause he'd have tried again at least once in Morocco, as well as Germany, and lets be honest, France. No, we had it relatively easy, with people being their normal selves, but nothing out of the ordinary. We haven't even noticed anyone stalking the band, and we've been looking. I think whomever this is, their reach is only the Americas. That means we should be ready for the chiz to hit as soon as we get back. I suggest we add a bit more security, but keep is hidden, and be ready to act as soon as this jerk does. The only good news is, I doubt their out to just hurt Tori..." Her voice faded.

"But whatever they want, it can't be good." Trina agreed. "I'm thinking the basic idea is right, someone wants to own her, and has the resources to make that happen. The question becomes why?"

"Not something we'll figure out here." Andre said. "Best we can do is plan for it, and be ready. Jade here had a plan."

"Good, she can tell me about it later." Trina said, looking at the head of security. "Um, Andre, have you handled that other thing yet?"

"It just hasn't been the right time." The boy replied.

"Could you handle it now?" Trina made it clear, in her tone and her stance, that this wasn't a request.

"Yes ma'am." Andre replied, giving a half salute before walking out of the room.

"I'd better go get changed." Jade said as she headed towards the door. She was still in the bikini she'd been in earlier that day.

"Actually, if I could have just a bit more of your time..." Trina asked.

Jade froze. It'd been a long time since the two of them had a private face to face talk. Trina almost always had someone else there, usually Ryder or Andre, and she normally dealt with business through one of those two. Whatever it was, it felt to the bodyguard like a major issue. "Okay, what?" She hoped that the boss wanted to hear the details of her and Andre's plan to add security without breaking Tori's arbitrary rule about who rides with whom.

"I've… No, that not right." Trina stumbled for the right words, another thing that just wasn't like her. Sighing, she started over. "Jade, you've been with us a while now, right?"

"Since before the beginning of the world tour." The blue eye'd girl said. "That was what, ten years ago?"

"You're normally funnier then this." Trina quipped. "But lets not get distracted. Too much of that going on as is." The older girl hesitated again, taking in a deep breath that pushed her chest out, reminding Jade that she wasn't the only busty girl on the tour. "Andre said Tori's teasing is just shy of sexual harassment."

"She's not used to having a girl around in my capacity." Jade shrugged it off. 'Even after all these months, she's still not used to it...'

"So, your not offended that she has ten different pictures of your ass on her phone?" Trina asked. She watched for Jade's reaction, and smiled when the blue eye'd girl managed to look surprised, but then let it go. "I'm just being cautious, given your history, that your not reading the wrong thing from all of this."

"We have a professional relationship." Jade insisted.

"I was afraid of that." Trina said, looking down. "Jade, it may mean nothing, but I'm thinking that maybe Tori's feeling a bit more for you then she lets on."

"You think that Shapiro guys right?" Jade asked. Jade had suspected, but intentionally dismissed that thought every time it had popped up.

"I don't know." Trina corrected. "I'm just saying, while it's probably harmless, her just trying to get a rise out of you, it may be more. And if it is…." She hesitated, not sure what she wanted to say next.

Jade jumped in at the opening, choosing her words carefully. "I'm not one to mix business with pleasure. Trust me, nothing will happen."

With that, Trina knew the answer she'd wanted, and it wasn't the one she'd gotten. "Good, lets keep it that way." Jade nodded and started heading out of Trina's room. "However, if something does happen, talk to me. We need to make sure that whatever happens, Tori's protected." Jade only paused long enough to hear the other girl out, then proceeded to her room.

Andre approached Tori cautiously, knowing the singer was in her own space right now. "Um, Tori, a word." He called out to her. She'd been sitting in the lounge area reserved for her and her crew, enjoying the view while waiting for her sister to finish what she'd been doing.

"Sure, no problem." Tori said. "Um, is it really that big a deal who makes the tee shirts we sell on tour?"

"Huge." Andre said. "A lot of the people who can afford the shirts are looking at your image, and nothing ruins an image more then not playing the country where your shirts are made cause the locals can't afford the show. So yea, it makes a huge difference. Why you asking?"

"I'd asked Trina to include me in all the decisions, and holy hell, she makes a lot of them." The singer complained. "I think I preferred it back when I was in the dark." Her face got solemn. "Only I can't. Not after I've argued I need to be included more. Not after I told her I need to be a part of these decisions. Not if I'm gonna be a grownup." Her eyes misted, just a bit, but she held her tears in.

"Maybe you don't need to grow up quite yet." The security expert said. "Trina's spent years getting very good at this. Have Kasey go through this shit and give you a synopses. Be aware of whats going on, but don't try to micromanage everything. Thats just not you, and you'll blow a gasket if you keep trying. Just, I know it hurts to have Trina controlling everything, but it's like the Illuminati, controlling everything behind the scenes, but we don't notice cause they keep the world running." He smiled, happy to share one of his conspiracy theories.

"Thanks, Dre, glad to have you here when I need something." Tori said, laying back in her chair. 'I already have Kasey doing that, and it still feels like way too much…' She thought, but something about the way her friend was sitting there made her nervous.

"Yea, about that..." He suddenly looked nervous. "I need to know, whats up with you and Jade?"

"Nothing, we're just playing around." Tori assured him. "Or I'm just playing around. She's forgotten how to have fun, and I'm gonna remind her."

"While showing her the world, right?" He asked.

"Precisely." She agreed.

"And it has nothing to do with the way you look at her when you think no one is watching." He added. She gave a confused look, prompting him to continue. "You know, that hungry look, like you wanna rip her swimsuit off and ravage her right there. Or maybe you want to go to a nude beach and watch her running around, just to see her tits bounce."

"ANDRE!" Tori screeched.

"Okay, too far, but she has a great figure, and I can see why you like it." Andre backpedaled, but not far. "Tori, I need to know, are you crushing on Jade?"

For moments, the singer glared at her former bodyguard and current head of security. The anger boiled just under her skin, telling her to lash out at this man who was accusing her of...'What?' she thought. 'Whats he accusing me of? Having a crush? Acting like a school girl?' Like that, denial overcame her rage, and she started laughing. "You think I'm having a fucking school girl crush on Jade?" But the laughter felt wrong, like it didn't quite fit, while her eyes hinted at a fear she'd held a long long time. "Please, I'm totally straight. I mean, yea, she's a looker, no denying that. But tell me what law says I can't appreciate her dedication to staying in shape. I mean, those arms, strong but not bulky, perfect for a bodyguard. I'll admit, I do feel safe in her arms..." The smile faltered, and Tori almost panicked.

"So, not a crush?" Andre asked. "Just curiosity? Thats good. Then again, it'd be just as good if you and her were gonna have something. I just don't want you caught in between. Cause, I know you, Tori, and you love being in love. You need long term. Maybe not Beck, but someone. And so, either admit that you feel for this girl, or you admit that you don't. Just, stop treating her like a piece of meat. And know this, most of your fans would still love you either way."

"Thanks." Tori replied, but her mind was racing, going in deep to cut off any feelings she might be having with that pale girl who'd been assigned to protect her life. 'It's natural. Some girls like their mate to be strong, protective. Jade keeps me safe, so naturally there's an attraction. It's just displaced, a feeling I need to express. Once back in the states, I'll fill out one of those on line dating services, find myself someone.'

That was the end of that conversation, a conversation mercifully driven out of the everyone's mind less then twenty hours later when the latest DirtNow magazine came out, featuring a rare written story by Robbie Shapiro. The story, entitled "Beck Oliver's secret", seemed to leap off the page.

Trina couldn't give that her immediate attention because she also noted a filler story. That story, in the magazine but hardly worthy of a front page spot, was from a confidential source in the Vega tour telling about Trina sleeping with one of the bodyguards. So while everyone on tour ripped into the main article, Trina checked out the smaller blurb, and the article attached with it.

'Wow, she got a lot more then I'd have expected, since I never named names.' The manager mused as she saw the picture that went with it. The story went on to say that her experts had ripped the picture apart, and it looked like a strictly no strings attached kind of thing. They then branched into how Ryder had been an old boyfriend of Tori's before taking up security as a profession, and speculated if he'd been sleeping with Trina before he'd been hired. Lucy seemed to value their relationship enough to hint that Trina and Ryder were both into this fling, and that while unprofessional, it wasn't illegal, or immoral. 'Just showing me as either out of control, or trying to control EVERYTHING!'

After checking to see the kind of damage her fling with Ryder could cause, she started into the main article, and immediately knew there would be blow-back. 'Okay, this isn't exactly what I'd hoped for, but I hope it hurts you Oliver. Suck on this.' She felt an evil smile crossing her face as she picked up her phone and called her assistant. "Malcolm, I'm expecting a couple of angry people beating down my door. Could you make sure I have a chance to talk to each of them?"

"Yes ma'am." The assistant said. "Shall I send them right in, or try and hold them off for a bit first?" His voice stayed neural. "Is this a throw my body in the way moment? Am I getting hazard pay?"

"One of them might be Tori." Trina said, and left it at that, returning to the article.

The first and most likely two interested in the article, were Tori and Jade, who arrived before Trina had the chance to finish the it. 'Just my luck, Tori AND Jade at the same time. This is gonna be bloody.' She plastered a smile on her face and waited for her sister to rip into her.

"I wanna hear it." Tori opened with.

"Sorry, what?" The older sister asked, genuinely surprised.

"Jade's 'American Voice' audition tape. I wanna hear it." Tori repeated.

"I don't have it." Trina said. "I doubt I could get it. But apparently Lucy has it, and she listened to it. I'm thinking she thought quite a bit about it, seeing as Shapiro all but accused Beck of picking that fight, back in American Voice, to get rid of Jade here." She turned her attention to Jade. "So, how out of practice are you? I'm wondering, if your not too far gone, maybe you can do double duty as a backup backup singers." She then chuckled to herself. "Backup backup."

"I'm not in voice any more." Jade stated. "But while I seemed to come out of things fairly unscathed, the article made it sound like you knew about my history before you hired me, and used me to piss off Beck."

"Which you already know isn't true." Trina shot back. "I had no idea until the day in Bermuda. I assume that was poetic license by Shapiro, trying to make things look more combative then they were. He's suggesting I hired you cause I knew Beck was cheating, and you'd either scare him straight or drive a wedge in between them. As I recall, it was him talking Tori here into a bit of S&M that was the final straw. And Tori, just a reminder, you're not a sub, and you shouldn't be treated like that. Beck, however, I think he's a sadist."

"Whatever." Tori said, holing up her hand. "I know you had something to do with this, and while I don't know what, or why, I wanna. And Jade, it's been months, and it's time you sang for me. It doesn't have to be good, just fucking sing."

"No." Jade protested. "I'm a bodyguard, not some clown to entertain you."

"I'm a singer, an entertainer, and we're not clowns." Tori argued back. "Now, sing something, anything, before I make you." It was a hollow threat, but left a lot to the imagination.

"And what should I sing?" Jade asked, looking slightly upset.

"You're a Heathens fan, so what about 'Animal?' I think they have a karaoke version somewhere." Tori pulled out her phone.

"Johnny Rock would never make a karaoke version of his song." The bodyguard protested.

"But the internet would." Trina added, pulling out her tablet and queuing the song. "Sorry, Jade, but it's time for you to sing."

"I don't suppose I have a choice, do I?" The blue eyed girl asked. She was nervous, upset, angry, and a whole set of other emotions. Mostly, she was confused, cause there was no reason for her to be singing now, and yet here she was, about to let loose with a song. Her eyes pleaded, asking to be spared this humiliation.

"Do it here, or in front of the entire cast and crew." Trina threatened.

"What do you mean or?" Tori teased.

"You realize, the story makes it seem you've held a bit of resentment towards Jade here for being Beck's Ex, so thats why you've been harassing her." Trina teased back.

"Sing for me." Tori demanded, ignoring her sisters comment in favor of hearing her bodyguard sing.

Jade took a deep breath, sighing, then hit the play button on the pad. Seconds later, the music filled the small room, and Jade cut loose with the song, prompted by the lyrics on the pad. Her voice, it seemed, was still in practice, just a bit rusty.

After her performance, where the more trained singer and manager could both hear where she was still a touch off, they both agreed it was a good performance. "So, you can see, not a singer." The bodyguard said, feeling very self conscious.

"You could have made it." Trina informed her. "Maybe to the finals. Tori was gonna win it..."

"Cause I was the best." Tori finished for her sister.

"No, cause you were the best managed." Trina corrected her sister. "Tori, sweety, you were the best, but that hardly mattered. One by one I watched as your real competition was voted out or put in jeopardy by bad reactions from the crowd. Hell, you remember that hack, Riley? She should have been gone with the second elimination, but she played on peoples sympathies, and made it to the final eight. Girl knew how to cover her deficiencies. In a way, I felt lucky she was taken out, cause she was your real competition. Never did find out what happened to her."

"Well, if we're done embarrassing me..." Jade motioned like she was ready to leave.

"Oh, we are." Trina assured her. "Tori, dear, now that the world knows you have a hot bodyguard, I'm assuming she can go back to playing that roll, instead of being your piece of fluff."

"What are you saying?" Tori demanded.

"Just, to be fare, we'll have to rotate which of your security personnel is in swimwear duty, and which ones are dressed like professionals." Trina locked eyes with her sister. "That is, unless there's another reason you dress her like that?'

"No, I see your point." Tori said, huffing. "I should be fair. But does that mean you'll stop boinking Ryder. I mean, ewe."

Trina smiled at Jade. "You can go now. I'm thinking Tori here wants to go over the receipts, make sure we're getting our share of the shirts. Cause I'm not talking about what Ryder and I do in our spare time."

Jade went to leave, but hesitated. "How'd she find out about you and Ryder? I mean, I get the feeling Beck didn't know about that."

Trina looked at the blue eyed girl, then sighed. "Tori, here's your next lesson in the big bad world." She then gave her full attention to Jade. "I told her, when I fed her a story of Tori being in a rebound relationship, to help fend off the press. I figured they'd see the way Tori was treating you, and jump to the conclusion that you two were doing stuff behind doors. I gave her both stories to protect Tori here, using the truth to make the lie more believable. Couldn't just feed her that kind of story without giving her something. I'll survive. May have to do something with Ryder, but I think he likes his current job, so, we'll see."

Jade knew she should leave well enough alone, but somehow couldn't. "You know he's smitten, right?" She didn't wait for an answer, just walked out the door and went to face the crowd of people who'd want to hear her sing.

"Now I don't regret recording her." Tori said to her sister, looking peeved.

Trina,. For her part, was floored by that revelation. She didn't even have the presence to scold her sister, or comment on how capable a singer Jade could be. Instead, she was left trying to figure out how she'd missed that one important fact about her lover that might well change everything in their formerly professional lives.

Once Jade was gone, and Trina was able to gain some control of her tempestuous mind, the sisters got down to working on the various things about the show Trina deemed safe to expose her sister to. It was safe, for both of them, drawing Trina out of her own trauma and allowing her something familiar to focus on while she got some sisterly time in. "You know, I'm not fooled by any of this. I still wanna know whats going on." The singer told her manager.

"And I'm including you." Trina replied, smiling.

"You really deal with all of this?" Tori asked. She gave her sister her best innocent face.

"Yes, but it's not as overwhelming as it fist seems." Trina felt like she was giving in again. "Many of the emails I get are things that legal needs to go over first, and I can often get them to give me a summery. Save me the trouble of going over the bloated legaleeze that these contracts are stuffed full of. I'm never to shy to ask for a summery. Sometimes you still gotta go through and make sure of the details, but the rest, we can handle that. Then we have the questions from the promoters. They just don't wanna have you get pissed off at them for not following the rider. And god, I had a blast with your rider. Did you know I made sure to have a list of things you'd accept instead of some of the shit you asked for."

"But I thought you said accept no substitutions?" Tori wondered.

"The rider is a tradition." Trina insisted. "Thanks to rock bands around the world, the rider is the place for you to make irrational pop star demands, like that clown masseuse you had in Marco. Man, he was good, and I had no idea they'd find someone who could do both. I spent weeks coming up with the full list, just so the promoters knew they were dealing with a star. It makes it easier if their worried about you being happy, so I'll know they're taking the important stuff, like our share of the merchandising, seriously. And yea, it gets funny sometimes. Did you know one promoter asked if he could substitute lawn furniture for the decorations I asked for. Not for you to use there, but since that kind of wood is plentiful and cheap there, he asked if he could ship some lawn furniture to your home instead of having the traditional decorations I'd asked for in your dressing room. Since we didn't need them, and he was having trouble getting everything I'd asked for, I agreed. So, you have new lawn furniture. They delivered it last week. It's beautiful. Also, I usually insist upon having a full sized couch in your dressing room, in case you need a nap before you go out and perform."

"So you put that shit in there to make sure they read the contract, AND to fuck with them?" Tori asked.

"And to make sure they know your a star, but yea, sometimes." Trina admitted.

"So you and Ryder?" Tori switched topics.

"I'm not ready to talk about that right now." Trina protested.

"But you were a bit ago." Her sister pushed. "What changed?"

"Ryder." The older girl replied. "Tori, when I started that thing with him, it was just physical, stress relief, being with someone I knew wouldn't expect anything more from me then the then and there. But Jade says he's smitten, and I suspect she's right. I mean, she has no reason to lie about that. Problem is, that makes everything much more complicated."

"Wait, do you have…." The singer asked, watching her sister.

"I don't know, and thats bad." Trina replied, looking out the window. "I made plans for Jade, just in case, but Ryder's not her. I can't foster him off into some other, acceptable job. He's a bodyguard, and thats all he's ever cared about enough to put the work in. Hell, I offered him the head of security gig, and he said Andre was better suited for it."

"I'm not gay." Tori said, snagging onto only one part of her sisters rant.

"Never said you were." Trina replied, trying to get back on track.

"Just needed you to know, I'm not gay." Tori emphasized. "As for Ryder, I don't think we'll have an answer this week, so why don't you just wait and see if he brings it up. Still, sooner or later, you're gonna have to deal with your feelings."

"And sooner or later, we're gonna have to deal with your needs for a man, or woman." Trina teased. "Look, I was gonna send Jade to speak with Phillip once we were back in the states. But if your not gonna be doing anything, we don't have too."

"No, it's a good idea, even with us just being friends. I mean, it'll be hard to replace her, but..." Tori let her voice drop. "Wait, Phillip? I thought he wasn't doing favors for you any more. I mean, why else would he avoid talking to Beck whenever you asked?"

"I asked Cat that very question, and she says Pillip just doesn't like Beck." The manager said. "Something about his niece being one of Beck's conquests or something. The thing is, maybe nothing will happen, and Jade will just be there for a meeting between me and Phillip. Or maybe he can help her get something going in her life, something other then being a bodyguard. Regardless of what happens, we're not replacing her until after the tour ends." Trina told the pop star. "Then our lives change, and the need for security shifts. We can hire us a couple of new guys to keep us safe, and figure out what to do about Ryder and Jade."

"I'm not into her." Tori repeated.

"Never said you were." Trina replied. The way she dismissed the thought was quick, calculated, nonjudgmental, as if it didn't really matter which was Tori leaned. 'And Tori says...'

"Yes you did." Tori pushed.

"No I didn't." Trina smiled, enjoying the child like activity. 'Wonder how long she'll keep it up?'

They argued a bit more, then went over the numbers again. "Tori, I'll send you the summaries, and take care of the heavy lifting myself, okay?"

"Sure, and I'll stop treating Jade as my personal barbie doll." Tori agreed.

"You like her ass." Trina said.

"It's a good ass." Tori shot back. "And I so do not."

"Stick with the first answer." The older sister advised. "Lots of girls admire each others physical features. It's security when you can say it and not be hiding anything, or be embarrassed, or whatever. Own your words."

"Given how many Tee shirts we sell, a lot of people own my words." Tori joked before heading back to her room. 'Next week, we finish here in Oceania, and head back to the U.S. Hawaii gets their show before we hit the South Central American leg, then back to Canada, then the U.S. again. It'll be fun. Man, Hawaii will be so fun.'

:}

Okay, that was a bit longer then usual, but not too much. We have some level of resolution on the "Jokes" tori has been playing on Jade, including the sexualization of her bodyguard. We also have some denial going on, but I don't think Trina or Andre fooled by Tori. Jade, she's too professional right now, but neither Trina nor Andre are fooled any more. Wonder what they'll do about that? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

So, comments? Questions? Leave me a review, and let me know.

Thanks again for reading.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious ir any of it's characters. No money is made.

:}

Their return to the U.S. was a bit different then many people would expect, since they had a brief stop in Hawaii before heading over to the South American leg of the tour.. It was simply that Hawaii was closer to Oceania then South or Central America, so they'd planned to do a small tour of those islands at that time. Tori would play on three islands, Hawaii, Oahu, and Maui. It was also the next break on their world tour, giving the crew an extra three days in Oahu.

"I'm so looking forward to the time off." Tori gushed. "I was thinking of chartering a boat and sailing around the islands."

"I don't sail." Jade said calmly, dressed in her more professional attire. Since Trina's talk with Tori, all the security agents had been asked to dress professionally.

"Doesn't matter, Trina won't let me." Tori whined. "Nothing that risky until after the tour. I'm not allowed to go para-sailing, or surfing, or anything that might inhibit my ability to perform."

"So no dating jerks." Ryder said, smiling. He was expecting an eye roll, but instead he got a strange, forced, over the top laugh, like Tori was trying to act amused. "Okay, I get it, too soon, but you don't have to mock me. I know my sense of humor isn't for everyone." The bodyguard pouted, but then broke into a half smile. "Seriously, we're here to have fun, so why don't you just relax and enjoy. You can do the more active stuff later."

"Our hotel has a private stretch of beach." Trina said. "You can lay out there, tan and relax, swim, whatever. It's a sheltered bay, so you won't be dragged out to sea. And maybe, if we have the time, we can go snorkeling at Hanauma bay. It's crowded, but one of the best places for safe snorkeling."

"That would depend on who's turn it is to accompany me when I head out." Tori said. "Andre or Jade, fine, but Bill and Ron, not crazy about having them snorkel next to me." Her smile hid the idea that she might have offended one of her security people. But she didn't need to worry, they understood who her friends were.

"Lets get to our hotel and settle in." Andre recommended. "We don't have the days off until the end, and I wanna get there as soon as possible."

"Okay, folks, this is just like the Caribbean. We fly in, do a show, then relax until the next flight out. Tori, try not to get too sunburned. And Jade, maybe we can find some white paint to keep that skin of your healthy?" The manager said, smirking.

Jade rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. It was an old joke. They were on the bus to the hotel, and everyone was ready for the next few days. Almost as important, they were back in the U.S. While it was the islands of Hawaii, it was technically home, so many of them wanted to just relax. That, and American television. Trina was floored by the number of people who wanted an on demand option for their hotels, and so they found one that offered a cable package including a fair number of shows covered by the cost of the room. Add in the spike in internet usage, and her cast was gonna catch up on a lot of their programs.

As the buss bounced along, Jade slid up to Andre. "Saw someone on my two, but they look to be heading the wrong direction now. Probably just a lookie loo."

"Stay alert, but just for the normal stuff." Andre instructed. "Maybe a bit more, given the number of folks here on vacay. But it's a closed environment, so I'm thinking we'll probably be safe from our mysterious stalker for a bit longer. South America, thats where I'm expecting trouble. Well planned out trouble. So I'm thinking we take on more security, as planned, and hope we can figure out their next move first."

Trina had asked to speak to her sister about business, something they'd been doing more and more over the last couple of days. "Tori, I need to talk to you about something." The older girl said. "I got a call from Robbie. He said that Beck pulled out of judging a beauty contest in Vegas over the weekend. Not sure why Beck would have withdrawn from that kind of paid weekend. That is, unless he was worried he couldn't control himself."

"Hay, I was engaged to that guy." Tori protested. Jade, for her part, stayed quiet. Then again, she was trying to give the sisters space.

"Have you been following the news lately?" The manager asked. "Beck gave himself a couple of months to supposedly mourn, then he started making up for lost time. Boy's been seen with a list of lingerie models and B list celebrities. He's embraced the bad boy image, to a point, and was scheduled to act as a judge for the miss Vegas Showgirl contest. No idea why he'd pull out of a commitment that would not only help his career, but put him around so many lovely girls who'd willing to have a fling, once they were eliminated from the contest. I think he's up to something."

"What else did you learn from Robbarraze?" Jade asked. This was starting to boarder on security, as well as affect her on a more personal level. Now she was involved.

"Thats the thing, as I said, I got a curtsey call from Rob just a few hours ago." Trina reminded everyone. "He's worried. Shapiro thinks that Beck hired himself a private eye, someone to figure out who spilled the beans on what happened way back at the American Voice auditions. Who knows what Lucy let slip, since she'd love to have the exclusive on whatever messy story came out of Beck's inquiries."

"Great, now I have to worry about Beck AND some stalker who's planning on kidnapping Vega here for who knows what purposes." Jade griped.

"Jade, when we get back to the states, assuming the label believes us, we'll see about adding more men to the security details. Just local off duty cops. That should help us out. And besides, I think we'll know better then to go chasing after one guy." Trina assured her. "You know, the idea you and Andre have been pushing on me."

"I spoke to a contact I have back home, a police officer in New York." The bodyguard said. "Had him do me a solid and get his hands on whatever he could about the guy you captured the day they almost got Tori. Guy said he was a merc, hired for one day, one job. Guy Ryder shot was the head guy for that team. I know, from what my contact told me, there was someone above, as well as probably one, or even two, drivers. Someone had to put the delivery truck in the way. So, I'm thinking, when this guy, assuming it's a guy, but when he strikes again, we'll be facing a different hunter looking for whatever bounty is being offered. That means different tactics. I'm assuming that we'll be walking into a trap they've been planning for months, probably in South or Central America. I've been speaking with Andre…."

"Then keep speaking to him." Trina cut her off. "And while your at it, speak to him about something formal. Our next stop is L.A., for the premiere of The Ginger Fox Story, starring Tori Vega. I want you there, near by. I'll find a way to get you in the show and keep you near Tori."

"You do that." Jade said. "So, Tori, should we go get ready?"

"We have time, and I want this show to be perfect. Let me talk to Trina here, then I'll join you for the meet and greet with the fans who're here." The singer hesitated. "Maybe we could look into another one when we hit the venue?"

"We'll see." Jade assured her, walking out of the room.

"Okay, Treen, I've bee thinking about your whole Ryder situation..." Tori started.

"Only it's not your business." The older sister said. "I don't owe you any kind of explanations. However, in the interest of letting my sister know where I am, I've been thinking a lot about it too. Part of me wants to ignore it, take the hit, and move on. Another part wants to wait until we have about two months left in the tour, you know, the high stress run towards home, and conveniently lose my birth control. I'd stop taking the pill, but I have a more long term solution in, and that'll take a visit with a doctor to remove."

"Y-Your thinking of having a child?" Tori stammered. Her sister could see her starting to vibrate with excitement.

"Yea, I've been thinking of micromanaging another life." The manager said. "You know, give you some room to breath. But first, we need to get past the early shows. Thing is, I never wanted kids before the day Jade told me Ryder might be smitten."

"Oh, he is." Tori cut off any possibility her sister might have more to say. "A player like him, and after speaking to the dancers and crew who've been around for a while, I don't think he's been playing the field in a long time. Hell, Beck's hit on more of the girls then he has. My fucking dancers."

"Go, meet your fans." Trina pushed. "Don't keep Jade waiting."

"Let me know the moment you've made up your mind." The younger sister insisted as she headed out the door.

"Sorry, Tor, but the moment I make up my mind, I think there's someone else who's got the right to hear it first." The older girl said softly. "Ryder, what the hell did you do to me?"

The three shows in the Hawaiian islands were all fun experiences for the tour. In addition to playing for her local fans, who she absolutely adored, Tori also had a lot of tourists. Those tourists were the unusual mix of people who happened to be in the islands anyways and just wanted to catch the show, and a few diehard fans who'd traveled all the way out to Hawaii for her performance. There was even a couple of contest winners who had been flown out, put up in a nice hotel, and even got to meet her before the show. Tori was amazed about that group, since the contest wasn't her, or her managements, idea. It was put on by one of the promoters back on the mainland, a drawing from people who'd attended one of her earlier shows, and sponsored by a local car dealership. But for those fans, she made it extra special, signing shirts and in general letting them know how happy she was to meet them.

Tori also made sure she knew all her options for public appearances, showing up at as many as she felt would be fun. Fans got to see her, enjoy her gratitude, and even hear a joke or two she'd picked up along the way. She'd insisted on stopping by the military recreation center on Oahu, as well as visiting pearl Harbor. She loved giving back to the military.

Her time on the radio only involved one mildly embarrassing incident, wen a DJ asked her if he could hear her bodyguard sing. Tori took a moment, spoke with Jade, admitting she'd recorded the blue eyed girl back when the bodyguard finally sang for her, and asking permission to play it for the radio audience.

"I really don't think this is the time for me to be showing off." The blue eyed girl said. "I mean, that song, the one you recorded, I'm not so upset about you having it as the thought you might be sharing it, so thanks for not sending copies around to everyone."

"Just to Trina, and she's already heard you sing." The pop princess assured her. "But my fans, they wanna know what you sound like. So pleeeease? I mean, it's for my fans, and we only have a few moments while the commercials play, and maybe that song..."

"I really don't think this is appropriate." Jade protested.

"Than maybe we'll sing together." Tori offered. "One of my songs, or something you like. Just, they deserve to hear you sing. It's been all over the papers, and sooner or later, someones gonna break in and record you in the shower, just to hear." Tori's hand was up. "I know you don't sing in the shower, but do you really want your privacy violated because someones that desperate? I know the stalkarazzi, I know what they'll do for a story, and the longer you hide this from them, the more likely they're gonna try something just to know what the dealeo is. So sing with me?" Puppy dong eyes shook the raven haired girls resolve to the core.

"Okay." She sighed. "But a couple of conditions. First, it's one of your songs, and you do most of the singing. I'll do a verse. Second, I don't want everyone back on the tour asking me to sing for them. I'm not the singer. Third, the station, their responsible for security while I'm singing with you. Got all of that?"

"On it." Tori cooed. "Lets get the song cued up. I think we'll sing 'Take a Hint.' Jade, I'll let you know your parts…"

Jade was less then thrilled at how many words her part of the song had, but somehow adjusted like a pro. Tori noted that her bodyguard was in even better voice then the last time she'd sung. 'Must have inspired her to practice…' She thought, and couldn't help but smile like an idiot. She resolved, once again, to help her bodyguard find a shot at her one time dream.

Jade hated how she'd given in, allowed herself to become part of the story. Deep inside, she just knew she would never hear the end of it. 'Now how do I blend into the background?' Yet, despite a live performance on the radio, Jade's singing would take time to filter out to the world.

Tori and her people also attended a birthday party, but only cause she'd give Jade and Trina advance notice. The blue eyed girl planned it out with Andre well in advance, sending Bill with a van to pick up the boy and his friends and take them to the backstage area to enjoy the fun. After those mini adventures, it was time for them to relax in Oahu, on the beach in Waikiki.

Tori and her crew were anxious for some beach time. While they could always use Waikiki, it was important to them to have privacy, so they chose instead a stretch of beach that was kinda private. A short ride would take them there, allowing the pop princess to relax and unwind. Only one problem presented itself. As they were making their way down to the bus they'd chartered to take them to the beach, they saw someone they'd thought they were done with..

"Hi babe, you miss me?" Beck said with an evil smirk on his face. Some blond girl was hanging off his arm, and he had his own security near by. One bodyguard and a hand full of old hangers on, most of whom knew Jade by sight.

"Dude, is that Jade?" One of the guys said. This guy looked like the kind of musclehead often found on the Jersey show.

"It's cool, Enzo. It's cool." Beck said to his old running buddy. "Jade, the guys haven't seen you in a while, wanted to say hello. We've been back running together since I had to make my own way, these last few months. I figured it'd be nice to have some of the old gang around me. And guess what, some of these guys really needed a fresh chance at life. So, they have their passports, their duties around me, and now I have an entourage. So much has changed, for all of us, in just the last year alone. Anyways, if I go over and say hi to my other ex, you gonna do something about it?" His smile said challenge, but he knew this was more of a poke at her.

"Beck..." Andre's voice was a warning, low and intense.

"What? I'm just here for the beach." The handsome boy said. "Look, Tori, I know there's a lot of bad blood between us, but I'm really here to bury the hatchet. I kinda have a favor to ask you, and I wanted to clear a bunch of chiz up first. So, why don't we load into my limo, and follow your bus to the beach. Jade, I'll even let you ride with."

"I'm not sure about this." Andre started.

"What do you want, Beck." Tori added. She was a long way from the fawning teen who'd fallen for him, or the desperate for love girl he'd been abusing before she'd broken it off with him. Now all she felt for him was anger, hurt, and a desire not to be alone with him ever again. Still, a part of her missed him...

"Half your boys ride with our crew on the bus." Jade said. "Vega, I think we should hear him out." Her eyes had been on the bodyguard, the only professional looking person among Beck's crew. She'd noticed that not only was this someone she didn't know, but behind those dark glasses, he seemed to be begging for her to do something, anything, to avoid trouble.

"Beck, what the hell do you want?" Trina asked. She'd come running as soon as someone told her he was there.

"I suppose we should have your manager there too." Beck said, smiling. "But we won't have enough room unless I send some of my boys on your bus. You know, in case she decides to blow Ryder. By the way, way to go Ryder. Scoring the boss lady. And she's a looker."

"Lets just get going." Jade cut in. "Enzo, nice to see you. You remember what'll happen if your hands slip to where their not supposed to go, right?"

"Good to see you too, sis." The boy replied.

"Sis?" Tori asked.

"Not by blood." The blue eyed girl quickly explained. "But his own family was kinda nice to me. When my parents ignored me, they took care of me. We kinda became siblings. In spirit."

"Oh." Tori said, looking confused.

"Okay, lets go." Trina informed her people. "Ryder, Jade, you're with us."

Beck, Enzo, the blond girl and Beck's bodyguard got in the limo, along with Tori, Jade, Trina and Ryder. The others all loaded onto the bus. Trina told the driver where they were going, and the two vehicles started down he road.

Only once they were moving did one of them speak. "Oh my chizzing god, it's Tori chizzing Vega." Enzo squealed like a girl. Beck just rolled his eyes, knowing his man had held it in as long as he could.

"Real smooth." Jade remarked.

"On the other hand, he makes a great personal trainer slash guy to have my back in a fight." Beck said. "Now, Tori, Trina, the reason I'm here is my private detective found something out."

"I don't care what you think you know, your not getting back with Tori." Trina cut in. Her eyes held a warning not to cross her.

"Who there, mama bear. Not what he was looking for. What he found out was that the guy who was behind the kidnapping attempt on Tori here might have been someone living in the goods old U.S. of A.." Beck said, enjoying being a step ahead of her for a change. It was easier now that he didn't have her watching his every public move to make sure he wasn't screwing up Tori's image. "Look, after DirtNow released it's hit piece, I hired this guy to look into where they could have found out about the American Voice incident. As you can guess, I had my spy in Jade's camp, so I knew she wouldn't tell." He nodded towards Enzo. "But as I was doing that, someone sent me an anonymous thumb-drive with a message on it. Guy was there, dressed like an Arab, with a mask to hide his face, going on and on about how I wasn't man enough for a woman like Tori. It occurred to me that this was probably the schmuck behind the kidnapping attempt. You remember, the attempt that put a knife wound in Dre's back. Realizing that, I repurposed my investigator to finding who was behind that message. I even got Lucy to agree to help look into a couple of leads. Hell, I'm indirectly getting that tool Shapiro to use his uncomfortably talented nose for news to help find this guy. And you know what we've discovered so far? He's probably living in the U.S."

"We'd figured the last part out." Jade said. "Otherwise, there were places in Europe, and especially Africa, where he'd have tried again. We figured, Andre, Ryder and me, that this guy hired someone to act as a go between, hire the help and everything else. And we also suspect that the guy Ryder shot was either the go between, or the head guy of the snatch team. So now, our mystery guy will have acquired a new team, possibly even a new face. We're planning on being ready."

"Bet you didn't know what Shapiro found. Wazzbag figured out that this guy is a fake Arab. Just a day or so ago." Beck added. "My person in his camp said he was watching the background, and saw just enough middle eastern paraphernalia to hint at an Arab, but thinks it's more decoration and less useful, like he wants the image. Also, the head wrap thingie, thats supposed to be wrapped around the face in case of a dust storm, so why wear a mask in addition? That says to me that this is someone who can pass as middle eastern, has a lot of money, but isn't really interested in being more accurate to the lifestyle of an Arab. You know, guys more into the mystique, that Arabian knights chiz."

"You know, not everyone from that region is Arab." Enzo said, drawing glances from everyone else. "What? I read. There are multiple ethnic groups, some of whom look like the rest, but don't identify as Arab, or Persian, or whatever."

"Anyways," Jade continued, trying not to smirk and roll her eyes at her kinda brother. "So this guy is playing at being some kind of rich middle eastern type, and using his cash to try and snag Tori here? Why? I mean, it's a major risk. It almost made more sense him being part of some rich extended family, and just being the kind who assumes he gets whatever he wants."

"Whats your interest in this, Beck?" Trina asked.

"He challenged me. Mocked my manhood and called me a baby dick." The actor replied. "And he didn't have the guts to do it right to my face. That, and the way you've handled the breakup is starting to feel like a good choice for my career. Just, Trina, I'm thinking our feud needs to be a bit more controlled. I'll survive the whole American Voice scandal, since I'm not really a singer. But we both know you could be feeding that loser Shapiro a lot of dirt on me, and I'd be swimming upstream in scandal. That, and I found out that," his voice shifted to sound as snooty as he could, "Phillip," his voice shifted back, "Has a personal issue with me. Turns out, he won't hire me cause one of my date and dumps was his friends kid. So I'm thinking you did keep your word and try to help my career."

"You pissed off Phillip?" Trina asked. "But, he scouts potential action stars for a couple of very connected agents. I need to fix this.."

"Not now." The bad boy cut her off, again. "Right now, we're talking about what we're gonna do about this stalker Tori has. I for one aim for him to fail, cause as far as I'm concerned, he doesn't get chiz. My P.I. will continue to work with Lucy and that hob knocker Shapiro to track this wazzbag down, while you continue with the tour, and we all find a way to spin this so I, and you, look good. I get to see this jerk janked up, taken to prison and if we're lucky, janked up again. The best part is, nothing I've done around this is gonna hurt my career. Even I can see to that. But I will need something to calm down my publicist. I need back on the guest list for Tori's movie premiere. It'll make it seem like my skipping out on Vegas was a good idea to my manager. Of course, my publicist thought the whole beauty pageant judge thing was a dumb idea, and told me so. I'm not telling her that I agreed, so I'm gonna need something with a red carpet that will make me look good. You know, your movie."

"And you'll want your buddies on the list too?" Trina asked. "No can do. I'm not even sure I can get all my own security into the premiere."

"I'll take care of some of it." Beck replied. "Jade will take Enzo here, cause she'd be on the job anyways, so he could be there for me. And then, it would help ward off Rabbarazi's attempts to link those two together. And we know there won't be any distractions, cause their practically family."

"Goody." Jade's voice was monotone.

"If you can get the tickets, I'll have Andre and Ryder there as support." Trina agreed.

"Now, lets get to this beach already." Beck said, looking at his driver.

"Five more minutes." The driver replied.

"So, truce?" Tori asked.

"More like a managed feud." Trina said, but extended her hand to Beck. He took it and they seemed to come to an agreement. "Lets hope that everyone stays within the limits of this deal."

"It's a truce of convenience." Beck pointed out. "I may still have feelings for Tori here, but I've never felt freer then I do now. And let me tell you, it feels good to be seen with various hot women who worship me in all the right ways."

"Nice of you to be so open." Tori said, looking at the blond girl.

"Oh, Sophie here understands the score." The actor said, smiling. "We're not even exclusive. But being with me helps her get noticed, while I get a hot babe on my arm. Also, she'll tell you I'm every bit the man in bed. Of course, you knew that too, didn't you. I bet you never find more of a man, unless Shapiro is right and your nailing Jade here." He acted like it was a joke, but the statement made half the people in the car feel less like they wanted this truce.

They then went quiet, not bothering one another for the remainder of the trip. The only sounds were Beck talking to his lady, Enzo explaining something to Jade and Trina calling Cat in LA. "Cat, things are changing, and we need Beck to get a couple of tickets to the premiere of the Ginger Fox Story. Also, Jade's kinda stepbrother will be in town, and we'll want a couple of tickets for him. Gives us an excuse to have Jade there, just in case."

"So anyways, no Arab prince would be allowed to just kidnap a celebrity." Enzo was saying in the background.

"On it." The perky girl said. "So, Beck's in Hawaii, huh? Someone told me he was there, and this pretty much confirmed it. So, what kind of offer did he give?"

"You see, their fine about buying love, concubines and chiz, and one middle eastern prince has playboy centerfolds among his harem." Enzo continued.

Trina chose to be subtle, despite everyone in the car knowing what she was about to tell her business manager. "Beck has as much to lose as we do if the guy behind that kidnapping attempt tries it again. So he's here offering to help. Says he has someone in Robbie's camp and everything."

"Wow, I wonder how much they know?" Cat said. "I mean, do they have anything juice on Robbie?"

"But the royals, in that part of the world, the ones with lots of cash, they're not big on spoiling their special relationship with the west." The Jersey boy droned on.

"No." Trina assured her. "But if they do, I'll fill you in, okay?"

"Yea, thanks." Cat said. "Look, I'd better get moving if I'm gonna get you those tickets you want. I mean, we're days away from Tori's big movie starring debut, and now I need to scrounge up four more tickets? I'll need all my wild skills for that. So, I'll call you when I have them. Bye."

"So by a kinda gentleman agreement, they'd be the first to react if someone could blame something like that on one of them." Enzo continued.

"Bye." Trina replied. "Cats' working on the tickets."

"Lets hope she get them." Beck said. "I mean, she hates me. Just look at the way she looks at me every time we're in the same place. I used to think it was jealousy, cause I was with Tori, and she wanted to be with me. Or Tori. I could never get a good read on her. I have no idea what kind of loser is her type, since she just doesn't like me. But I know now it was hate."

"So no, it couldn't be an Arab prince, cause they have too much to lose." Enzo finished. "Thats what I think, anyways." Jade just nodded, and continued watching her ex and her charge, in case something happened.

"Cat doesn't hate anyone." Tori said. "And I think she's been seeing someone for a while now. She probably didn't appreciate your hitting on her when my back was turned." The singer was now almost out of her seat. "Don't deny it. I know they didn't tell me everything, but you were in L.A. when I wasn't, and I'm betting you made an attempt." Jade's arm was out, to help restrain her charge if necessary.

"Which is why I'm thinking she's gay." Beck said, causing even Enzo to roll his eyes. The car went silent again, as Tori fumed and Jade tried to comfort her. Trina and Beck glared at one another, but there was less animosity now then there was before. Trina felt Beck was still a tool, but he was working with them.

:}

So Beck is back. And he has both news, and some personal beef with whomever the stalker is. I wonder, should they trust him? And he's running with some of the old gang, people Jade knows.

So thoughts. Just review, and let me know what you thought about giving Jade some family, kinda.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own.

:}

In Los Angeles, Cat had called the studio and got the extra tickets she'd reserved months ago, back when she was making contingency plans. She usually released those tickets a day before the show, or gave them to a local radio station for contests. But today, her constant contingency planning paid off. 'And I have a pair left over, in case I want to see the movie myself. I just wish I could take a date.'

She made another call, and barely had time for the phone to ring before a very familiar, and male, voice answered. "Cat, Baby, whats up?"

"Rob, Beck's with Tori and Trina in Oahu, and I think Trina mentioned something about the guys who tried to grab Tori." She informed him.

"I've been working with Lucy on that, and I know she's been sharing intel. with Beck." The on line gossip said.

"Beck also said he has a mole in your operations." The redhead warned.

"No, he just thinks he does." Robbie replied. "I know about Steven, and the spy you know is worth more then no spy's at all. But right now, we're on the same side. We're all about catching that guy who tried to hurt Tori and seeing him go to jail."

"Yea, I'm gonna miss this job." Cat lamented. It felt like it came from left field.

"And why would you give it up." The boy asked. He knew how her mind worked sometimes, and was ready to head off any deviation before it wandered into dangerous territory.

"Cause we're getting married next summer." The petite girl reminded him. "And I doubt we'll be able to hide our relationship after Trina finds out. And don't say she won't find out. I'm planning on asking her to be one of my brides maids."

Robbie sighed, stifling a chuckle. "Cat, darling, of course she'll find out, and thats why she'll keep you. First, like I said, the spy you know. But second, and this is important, you've never told me anything I couldn't find out another way. Mostly you helped me keep track on an old school friends activities. Besides, Trina has no one but herself to blame for us being together. I mean, she did introduce us."

Cat smiled. "I have things to do, cause of the movie and stuff. But I was wondering, would you like me to smuggle you a ticket?"

"I already have one." The gossip blogger said. "Lucy made sure I'd have one. But if you decide you want to go, I could pretend to be forced to sit next to your, hold your hand?"

"Maybe, if you cook me something special tonight." Cat sugested.

"I'm almost done with work today." Rob was thinking aloud. "I could go to the market, get us some fresh trout. How's that sound."

"Fish guts in my kitchen, smelling things up for tomorrows breakfast?" Cat griped.

"Okay, Trumans has fresh Trout steaks. I could get us some, make you a dinner fit for a queen, and then who knows what we'll be in the mood for?" Robbie tried.

"Okay, but when we going to bed, no playing pirates." The business manager said. "Even though we're together, I still don't like the way you play it. Now, if you don't mind, I have a lunch I can't avoid. And get condoms."

Back in Hawaii, the group was enjoying the morning beach air. Beck and his crew were vastly outnumbered, so they were on their best behavior. Bill and Ron both were rocking their swim gear, showing off their huge physiques and talking up the ladies. Beck's crew were also enjoying the sun and beach. Only Jade and Trina were preoccupied by other thoughts. Jade was watching everything, trying to stay alert just in case something went wrong.

Trina was watching Ryder. 'Do I really want him in my life? I mean, he's been there for ten fucking years, but do I want him in all of my life? Kids? Could he handle being my husband? Or would he be the wife? Why the fuck am I lost in this shit? I'm supposed to be the mastermind. Plotting Tori's next big move while laying on a beach. It's why there's a router in the bus, so I can stay on top of everything. Hell, when I relax, I like to have someone watching in case I'm needed. Do I really have time for kids?'

Beck was also preoccupied, spending a lot of his time watching his ex. The blond girl he'd brought along tried to get his attention, even almost losing her top. But that just brought Bill rushing over to offer his towel until she could get her top straightened out. Sophie thanked him and went back to trying to get her boy's attention from his ex. "You wouldn't know if there was a nude beach somewhere where we could just relax?" She asked.

"That works a lot better before we've slept together." Beck said, still watching Tori. "Excuse me, I need to talk to someone." He practically blew her off, standing up to go speak with someone who wasn't her about someone else who wasn't her.

"If you wanna try swimming, I'll keep an eye on you." Bill offered. She just gave him a look of disgust. "I understand, Beck's good looking. It's just, you know this is temporary at best. Don't put yourself in an uncomfortable position for something thats just not gonna happen."

Sophie looked over at the large man, and tried to figure out his game. 'Everyone's out for themselves, so whats he hoping to achieve?' She wondered. "Thanks." She drolled, not bothering to hide how little she cared about his kindness.

Beck had made his way over to Trina, sitting down next to her. "You see it too?" He asked, trying to be as neutral as he could.

"See what?" She asked, pulled from her own inner turmoil. She still kept her eyes on her Pearpad, trying to look like she was doing something other then watching her sister, or Ryder, or anyone who was now causing ripples in her once controlled world. A world that only Beck's actions had marred this much in the past.

"Don't lie to me." The actor demanded. "Is Tori nailing my ex?"

"No." The manager replied. "Tori claims she's not into girls, despite what you or I may think we see. And believe it or not, this is her toned down behavior."

"I said don't..." He started through clenched teeth. "Wait... Y-you knew... And you've already spoken to her about it?"

"You sound surprised." The older girl said.

"Mostly that you'd admit this to me." Beck said.

"I'm not gonna lie about her behavior, not to you. Not when you've already seen it." The olde girl said. "But only cause I've already heard this from Andre. But, FYI, Tori's in denial, and Jade's not interested, so I'm staying out of it. I've messed around with her love life enough as is."

"Oh, Jade's interested." Beck said, his voice wobbling slightly. Trina's eyes finally shifted from her pad to the actor. "Look at her, working overtime just to be working. I know this beach is probably as safe as anything, and if someone wanted to hurt Tori here, they'd be facing her whole tour. No, Jade's on the clock to avoid whatever feelings she's having."

"How would you know?" Trina asked. "Before Bermuda, you hadn't seen her in what, ten years? She's changed a lot, even been tempted by a girl. She told me about a one night stand she had after a cage fight. Not important, just, she said she wanted more..."

"I'm betting that was right before she told you she didn't know how to ask for it." The actor said, a smirk crossing his face. "But your right, I don't know her as well as I used to. But I know someone who does." Then he shouted down the beach "HEY ENZO!"

The personal trainer had just recently come out of the cove, and was showing off his still wet body to a couple of the dancers, flexing and posing. The moment he heard his name, he looked over at his boss. "WHAT?" He yelled back. Beck motioned for him to come closer, and the Jersey tough guy ran across the sand to where his boss was sitting. "What?" He asked again.

"Look at Jade and tell me what shes thinking." Beck instructed.

"Like I can read minds." The personal trainer said. "If I could do that, I'd be in Atlantic City, earning my keep by reading what the other guys were holding."

"Just tell me what you can see, if anything, just by watching her." Beck instructed.

"What am I looking for?" The follower asked.

"If we told you that, it kinda eliminates the reason for asking you." The handsome boy said.

"Okay, okay, calm the chiz down." Enzo griped as he looked at his not quite adopted sister. "So, who's she crushing on?" He asked, still looking her over. He'd barely been watching a second, and already read that much.

"What makes you think she's crushing on anyone?" Beck asked. He wasn't bothering to hide his smirk, cause his man was looking the other way, and he wanted Trina to know just how much he already knew. 'It feels good to be ahead of her, even if it's only in spirit.'

"After you broke it off with her, she got all hurt and gun shy. Then, the next few encounters didn't exactly go her way. Did you know, when she was cage fighting, she nailed a groupie?" Enzo said, not noticing how Trina gave Beck a quick raised eyebrow. "Girl actually thought that a groupie was after something more then a quick thrill. But by then, she'd been messed up by love, and was looking to hurt people. Just, you know, the whole cage fighting bit. Not the romance, which she's chiz at." He had to keep looking back at Jade, while trying to give Trina and his friend slash boss his attention. It made it hard to see a lot of what was going on, focusing instead on the pretty faces.

"She was different before?" The manager prompted.

"Ask Beck here. She pretty much told him they were dating, even threatened to toss any girly girl who tried to move in on her turf into the sewers." The Jersey boy reminisced. "But she was always like that. Like how she joined our family. Her mom, she was lost when Jade's dad up and left. I think he believed that Jade wasn't his, or something like that. Anyways, when her dad would come by for the kids, he'd take the others and leave Jade. Her mom would use that time to go out and party, so Jade kinda had to fend for herself. Since my parents didn't kick her out the first time, back when she was about seven maybe, so when we let her stay and eat, she stated showing up at our place for meals all regular like. And when the authorities were less then useless, we just kinda kept feeding her when she'd come by. Our relationship developed from there."

"Ouch." Trina said. "Tough life."

"Tough girl." The boy replied. "You know how she learned to fight? One of her moms boyfriends worked at this big dojo, and put her in classes to help with her temper. Two black belts, as well as a lot of cross training, and she still had a temper. But after the other shit she's been through, she's learned a lot of self control. Too bad she's so busy trying to avoid her crush, cause it's making it hard for me to see what you're hoping I…" There was av sharp intake of breath, followed by a stifled squeal. "Oh my loving chiz, she's crushing on Tori Vega. Did you see the way she forced her eyes off miss Vega's ass. Not that I blame her, thats a mighty nice ass..."

"Trina here is Tori's sister." Beck said.

"Then you understand, she has a nice ass." The boy said, not missing a beat. "Not that yours is bad, cause wow. It's just, she has a nice tight ass, and it looks good on her frame. And the way she's teasing sis, wagging it in her face..."

"I think thats enough." Beck cut him off.

"Okay boss." Enzo said. "Wait, you were trying to figure out if she was still holding a torch for you, weren't you. I totally get it, if she weren't practically my sister, I'd hit that. But boss, Beck, you hurt her. I'm amazed she hasn't tried something drastic, and violent, against you. Then again, she's done wonders with her anger issues."

"Why don't you go back to winning the hearts of some dancers." The actor suggested, and his personal trainer was off and running. "On the other hand, he's a surprisingly good personal trainer." That seemed to be his fallback defense at having his old friend around.

Trina's head was in her hand. "Great, now I owe Andre ten bucks." She groaned.

"So, your really gonna just let them figure this out on their own?" The actor asked.

"Don't you dare go using this against either one of them." The manager growled.

"I'm not the one." He replied. "Not any more. But I do kinda owe her enough to want to help."

"Tori, or Jade?" Trina asked, giving the boy her full attention for a moment longer. But he didn't answer, and she didn't press the issue.

Trina sat with Beck for a while longer, watching his blond girl try to get his attention, and only succeeding in drawing Bills, until the manager felt it was time to deal with her next problem. She got up, shouldered her beach bag, and walked over to where Andre was resting after going body boarding, carrying her Pearpad. "I kinda owe you some money." She opened.

"Nah, you always pay me on time." He said with a shake of his head. "Unless it has something to do with our girl over there."

"According to Beck's personal trainer, who's practically a brother to Jade, she's seriously smitten with Tori. Only problem is, she's both too professional to do anything about it, and too scared of being in a situation she can't control to bother to take the risk." Trina said, sitting down next to him. "I'm not sure what our next move is." She put her pad in the beach bag.

"Phillip." The head of security said. "She's gonna be with you when you take a meeting with Phillip, and you can have her show off her stuff. Maybe do a screen test. If he likes her, then she'll be doing movies, and making enough that she can date Tori."

"Only she won't." Trina emphasized. "I listened to Enzo there talking about how Jade's been for the last couple of years, and it's not good. We need to do something, but I'm not surer what."

"What happened to staying out of Tori's love life?" Dre asked.

"Not always an option." The older girl replied. "Look, I have a bad enough history with romance, and it's becoming my bane. I just need to know whats the right thing to do here?"

"And you think I know?" The security chief asked. "My own dating history is worse then Tori's. I have trouble holding down a relationship. One of the reasons I love being a bodyguard is I can be around such interesting and fun people, and don't have to be the center of attention. If I were, you'd know I trade in girlfriends faster then George Clooney. But it's all good, I'm more in love with the idea of being in love then the actual act. Once the initial infatuation wears off, I kinda lose interest. So being a bodyguard, traveling, seeing the world, it fits where I am right now. I'm in no hurry to change any of this. Plus, Tori's gonna need me to make sure her home is all safe and stuff, as well as take care of her when she travels."

"You ready to train a whole new team?" Trina asked, changing subjects. Both of them wanted to help, but had no idea what to do.

"Yea, I've been thinking about our needs, but if I'm honest, we need a lot more flexibility going forward..." Andre said, going off on what he intended to do.

The stay in Hawaii was peaceful after that, with Beck making a point of staying in a different hotel and keeping his distance. They resumed their feud, only this time managed by Trina, as well as Beck's publicist. It helped, once word leaked that Beck had been put on the list for Tori's movie, reportedly by one of the studio's executives. That one move made Beck look to be positioned for bigger, better things. Tori, for her part, was assigned the roll of being above it all, still yearning for someone but over Beck. Trina would be the other half of this feud.

Then, all too soon, everyone was loading up for the next leg of the flight, and a stopover in Los Angeles. It was the reason they didn't get a longer rest stop, so Tori could attend the premier of her movie, and do a little press.

"You up for this?" Trina asked her sister. "From this moment on, every press conference we do is about the film. We continue to tour, but you'll be flying back to the U.S. for a few talk shows along the way. And Jade, after we finish with the premier, you'll be with her every step of the way. Those interviews will be a prime opening for someone to try and take her, away from the majority of her security."

"I spoke with Andre, and the studio, and we'll have extra security provided by them." Jade replied. "But your right, we'll have to be extra careful. The last thing we need is for her to be taken on my watch."

"Thats the spirit." Tori added. "So, whats the first thing everyone else wants to do when we get to L.A.? Me, I'm planning on going home."

"Thats right, Jade here's never been to your place." Andre chimed in. "Tori has a place in the hills, bought it years ago. Her sister has the place right next to it. While the others will be enjoying their time off, maybe even going home, we'll be resting it up at Tori's place."

"We also have the movie, and a show." Trina scolded them. "This way, we won't have to have another show here at the end of the tour."

"We're planing on ending in New York." Tori pointed out. "I have a place there too. Just an apartment. But you'll see it when we get there."

"So, a show?" Jade asked.

"Night after the premier." Trina filled her in. "Then we pop down the coast to Central and South America, going back up the other side. Once we're done there, we fly up to Canada for a tour across it, ending in Alaska. From there, select dates across the U.S. for the next one hundred and twenty days until we're back in new york. A more leisurely tour. After the end of the tour party, we fly home, and your contract will have been fulfilled."

"Sounds like you can't wait to get rid of me." Jade joked.

"Mostly, for me, it's a month off, straight, before I start my next project." Tori told her. "So, lets get this going. Jade, stay close, I wanna show you all the sights."

"Except I have a lunch meeting tomorrow with Phillip, and I can't take Ryder." Trina pointed out. Then she addressing the hurt look on the mans face. "What? He's doesn't like players, and lord knows you were a player once. So, I take Jade, do the meeting, and we're back in time for the premier. Everyone has fun, we rest up for the concert the next night, and we're off to central America."

Sighing, the tall mean spoke. "I get it. Not even on the guest list for the movie. Jade is, but not me. The guy who's been with your for ten long years." Ryder's face broke out in a smile, unable to keep himself from laughing.

"Yea, glad you didn't go into acting." Trina said, smiling.

The flight was relaxed, and then they faced LAX with a calmness that spoke of how used tot his airport they were. The crew separated their bags, sorting some for later use, while sending the majority to either the arena, for the costumes and such, or to a carousel waiting for the members of the tour. From there, for the first time in over a year, they went their separate ways, with everyone agreeing to meet back at the arena in time for the show. One bus took those of the tour who weren't from the Los Angeles area to their hotel, while Tori loaded her people into a limo. Once everything was set, they drove off into the city of angels. Not once, during the entire time at the airport, did anyone look the least bit nervous. And the group, despite the long flight in from Hawaii, was rested and ready to see home again, even if it was just for two days.

Tori and her entourage got to the pop stars house, and immediately Jade felt overwhelmed. It was over seven thousand square feet in the Hollywood Hills, with seven bathrooms and a view of the city. "I have a pool, a jacuzzi, even a private air conditioned sound proof practice room, and they have a bunch of places for me to store bottles in it." Tori explained, looking ready to show off her beautiful home.

"Sounds like a wine cooler." Jade said, but Tori just smiled at her with a strange look on her face.

"There's a guest suite that we use as a security hub." Andre said, saving them from an awkward conversation.. "It's a gated community, with security of it's own, so we're cool."

"And the boss lives right next door?" Jade wondered.

"Yep." Andre said.

"Her place is smaller, with fewer bedrooms, but she has an office there too, and often works from home." Tori said.

"So we'll see Cat there" The blue eyed girl asked.

"Probably, but Cat has her own place, with her own home office, as well as an office we use in town." The singer informed her.

"Let me show you the important stuff." Andre said, showing the other bodyguard around. "This is the room I use when we're here. Bill and Ron share another room. But, as you can guess, thats only when we're on tour. When she's home, we have our own places. Still, here, we have all the comforts of a very modern home, build on a generous lot, with full city views."

"The view of the city is lovely at night." Tori started. "I remember, when I got this place, thinking of how it would be to make love while looking at the city. Then I went and told Beck, and wouldn't you know it, the only place on gods green earth he didn't want to nail me doggy style was here in my bedroom. I'd have even settled for a side view, turn my head and bam! But no, somehow we always did it so he had the view."

"Just a thought, don't use that story in any of your interviews." Jade suggested, smiling. "I'm gonna go talk to the boss lady, see where she wants me sleeping tonight."

'I know where Tori wants you sleeping.' Andre thought, then scolded himself for such improper thinking. 'Tori, please, for the love of god, figure this Jade thing out, so I don't have to worry about saying the wrong thing.' He silently begged.

Jade wandered over to the one door in the fence along the side of the back yard leading to another home, and through it to a less modern, more classic home. Ryder came out to greet her. "Jade, good to see you." He welcomed, acting like he hadn't seen her in ages. "So, what'd you think of Tori's place?"

"Vega's place was nice, if kinda huge. I mean, wow, how much space does she need?" The New Yorker said. "And it sounds like she converted he wine cooler into a practice room."

"She did." The tall bodyguard said. "Way back when they bought their places, Tori was touring that one, and saw the glass doored wine cellar. But when Tori saw it, she slipped inside and sang a few notes, but no one heard her. The insulation they'd used to help keep the room at a constant temperature was functionally soundproof. So when Trina next saw her, she was gushing about the practice room, when it was really a wine cellar. But that was one of the reasons she bought it. Another was the place next door, this one, was also for sale, so Trina would be near by if she needed her. We had that door installed, as well as upgraded security, and vala, we have the Vega compound."

"So she still doesn't know it's a wine cellar?' Jade asked.

"I think she always knew." Ryder assured her. "But she doesn't drink that much wine. So for her, it's a practice room."

"So, where am I sleeping?" The blue eyed girl asked.

"Trina has a room ready for you." Ryder said. "And wants to go over something. I'll let you get to it, while I go over tomorrow with Tori."

Jade walked into the house. "Jade, I'm getting worried." The older girl said as soon as she was in the living room. "It's been occurring to me, if they have a spy in our organization, they'd know about all our planned stops, right?"

"Sounds about right." Jade agreed.

"Then we're in danger of a snatch attempt while she's promoting this film." The manager said. "I'm thinking of canoeing her promotion tour.'

"That depends, whats the planned tour?" Jade asked.

"Just a couple of major, nation wide talk shows." Trina said, glancing at her pear pad.

"I'm guessing one or two in Los Angeles, and another one or two in new York?" The bodyguard guessed.

"We have the late night shows to think about, Colbert, Kimmel, O'Brioan, couple of others." Trina assured her. "Then we have a couple of the morning shows. Thats about it. But we'll be flying her in and out of both cities about a half a dozen times for the scheduled interviews."

"Great, lots of opportunities for them to make a move." Jade said. "The only good, we only have two cities to worry about. Two huge metropolitan areas with millions of people. No problem at all."

"Glad you agree." Trina chimed in. Then the manager opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. A second later, she tried again and this time managed to make a sound. "I was gonna say something, but it's better if I don't."

"About?' The blue eyed girl urged.

"I was going to try and help Tori with her love life, but I think it's better to just stay out of it, let them figure things out for themselves. That way, your not caught in the middle." The older girl explained.

"Yea, about that, I know I should have kept my mouth shut about Ryder. It was never my business." Jade admitted.

"But I'd made it everyone's business, without asking anyone." Trina explained. "So yea, it was the right thing to say. Now, I've been thinking about what you'd told me, about how Ryder is smitten, and I see it now. I totally do. And trust me, once I figure out what I want out of things, He'll be the first to know. Until then, yea, that time it worked. And the lesson is, sometimes we get stuck in our own assumptions, and don't move. You broke me out of my own assumptions. Now, no matter what I do, it'll be my choice, not me just going with the flow."

"Good." Jade said, but she still felt very awkward. "So, whats on the agenda for tomorrow? Us, I mean."

"We'll be heading over to a meeting with Phillip at about nine in the morning. Our meeting is at ten, but he's always running late, so we'll probably be waiting around for a while. Then, we'll be talking going to lunch, and talking again. We have him until two thirtyish, but shouldn't take that long. However, I'll need one more thing from you."

"Okay, what?" Jade asked.

"I'm thinking of backing one of his personal projects, and I'll be wanting to see how it plays out." Trina informed her. "Maybe you could act out a scene or two for us? I won't get the script until that moment, so it'll be a cold reading. But we'll see how it flows, and you can give me an idea if this is a project worth going for."

"Really?" Jade asked.

"What?" The manager somehow looked innocent. "You told me you trained as an actress, and we're not looking for perfect, just an idea of how things will flow. Maybe, if you feel uncomfortable, we can have you show off some of your mad martial arts skills to break the ice."

"If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were showing me off to a director you know." The bodyguard said, looking warily at her boss.

"Don't be ridiculous." Trina assured her. "He doesn't do casting for his own movies. That would be absurd."

Jade was a bit unsure, but agreed to go along with the switch, cause there was just that air of truthiness about the whole argument. Besides, she was just the hired help. 'I just don't like the idea of Tori not having me there if things go sideways.' She worried. 'I mean, Ryder and Andre are professionals, but I still want to be there, watching her back.'

:}

So, we now know who the spy was, but admit it,, you all saw that one coming, right? So what are your thoughts on Beck's discoveries about Tori and Jade? And what about Tori's Home? I loved the idea of her converting the wine cellar (Technical a room, in many of these places) into a practice room. And what will happen with Phillip? So many questions, and we still have a nightclub to hit.

Review, and I'll see you next time.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own victorious or any of it's characters. They say we need to constantly remind you, cause some people like to sue.

:}

"Now let me show you where you're sleeping tonight." Trina said, leading the blue eyed girl to one of the guest rooms. It was, if she was honest, larger then many an apartment in New york. Not knowing what else to do, she carried her things up to her room then hurried back to see what the others were up to.

Tori, Trina and the rest of security were sitting in the starlets living room, looking out the window at the view. "Long flight from Hawaii." Tori announced. "I'm thinking of maybe hitting a club or two, then calling it a night."

"After a five hour flight, you still want to party?" Jade asked. The thought of the anyone wanting to do anything beyond falling into bed was ludicrous to the bodyguard. Her face said as much without uttering a single word.

"When else am I gonna get the chance to go out and boogie?" The singer asked. Her face said something too. It said she was going out to dance and have fun, and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

"You have an early day tomorrow." Trina reminded her. "You have a radio interview, followed by that interview for that A.M. show, then that fan meet and greet you insisted on."

"Oh, yea." The pop princess said. "Maybe only one club."

Trina sighed. "Fine. Jade, get dressed up. You're going with. I'll have a driver here shortly."

"But it's early." The bodyguard pointed out. "Don't those clubs only get moving after sundown?"

"Usually." Andre said. "But this is L.A. You can always find something going on. I know just the place. Bill, Ron, you two get ready to go out. I'll meet you by the car. Jade, we're gonna go over tomorrow a bit with Trina, since she won't be there. Hope you don't mind."

Trina had gone back to her own home. Jade decided she should get dressed, and followed, only to find the manager standing next to her room with a dress in her hands. "Try to keep it clean. It should hide the vest, only. And keep everything discreet. Okay, get showered and dressed, the car's coming. And oh yea, and Cat'll be joining us."

Jade looked at the dress, certain that her vest would produce bulges. After thinking just a bit, she decided on how she'd wear the body armor, and got a quick shower in before doing her hair and makeup. Finally, she put on the body armor, a light Kevlar weave that would only stop light arms fire, and squeezed herself into the dress. While it lacked the plunging neckline that would expose her protection, it was tight enough to make her still look very feminine.

"Okay, how the hell am I supposed to move in this?" The bodyguard asked.

"Looking good." Trina said, nodding her head. "We really need to get you something that protects an allows a plunging neck line. That suits your build. However, we're ready."

A car had pulled up, waiting patiently for the others to pile in. Cat was sitting in the back seat, dressed to kill. "Hiii." The business manager greeted Trina, giving the older woman a hug. "My god, Jade, you look…."

"Whatever." The bodyguard said, trying to act casual.

"Seriously, if I wasn't seeing someone, it'd be enough to make me question my sexuality. I'd still be straight, but tempted to experiment." Cat rambled.

"Where are the guys?" Jade asked. She desperately didn't want to continue down this line of conversation. "I mean, how long does it take them to get dressed?"

"You'd be surprised." Trina said. "But don't worry, we have time. I suggest we have dinner out, then hit a club for a bit, but still make it an early night."

"Tell that to your sister." Cat said, smiling. "I personally wanna take advantage of the driver, and get sloshed."

"Not too drunk." The older girl warned. Jade listening in with interest. "You're covering Tori's morning tomorrow."

"So I'm not getting shit done all day, huh?" Cat asked.

"I'm being serious. I'll get her to the radio interview, and then the morning show, but you handle everything from there. Until I show up to relieve you and take her home." Trina reminded her.

"So, what, your expecting trouble?" The petite girl asked. "Treen, all I have to do is get her to the signing, and make sure she's taken care of. They'll be six thousand cops around her, not counting your dad."

"She's exaggerating." Trina told Jade. "But since Tori does something for their annual charity drive every year, and dad is a cop, they'll take very good care of her."

"Whats she do this year?' Jade wondered.

"There's gonna be a whole section for the kids, and those who donated to the police, at her upcoming concert." Cat said.

"And several of the big donors will get to meet her before the show." Trina added.

"And here come the guys." Cat pointed out. Andre, Ryder, Bill and Ron all walked out in suits, looking dapper but not like it should have taken them nearly as long as it did. "You know they're sharing a bathroom, right?" Cat asked. Jade looked back at the small girl, now understanding why it might have taken so long.

Tori trailed behind the guys, dressed up for fun. The pop princess was ready to cut loose and dance, but still needed to look like the girl next door, a fashion choice that often took time to put together. "So, what do you think?" She did a twirl so the girls in the car could admire her look.

"Remember, I go in to check the bathroom first, and you do as I say. When dancing, have Ron and Bill near by at all times. And if you need us for anything, not counting getting you a drink, let me know. Are the personal assistants coming, cause it'd be easier if we had them to fetch drinks." Jade ticked off, trying to make sure she didn't miss anything.

"And with that, driver..." Trina said, and the driver of the limo started off. "Tori, we go just long enough to relax, then head home."

"Yea, yea." Tori dismissed her. "Jade, you're gonna love my mad dance moves."

"Why are you telling me?" The raven haired girl asked.

"Cause your the only one who hasn't seen me dance." Tori informed her.

"What about Paris?" Jade countered. "Or Monaco? How about that club in Tokyo? Or your various impromptu beach parties? I've seen you dance, plenty of times."

Tori grumbled, but only for a moment, not willing to let anything sour her mood. Then she was dancing in her seat again, enjoying the music they had playing while riding to their destination. Jade looked out the window as the car slowly made it's way through Los Angeles traffic, towards a club she knew nothing about. The drive was mercifully short, save for the rush hour traffic. Still, in half an hour they'd reached Maestro's, one of the fancier restaurants in the valley. "Okay, dinner first." Trina announced.

"Is this place any good?" Jade tried to ask Cat discreetly.

"For dinner, great." The smaller girl said. "But not for clubbing. Once we're done, we'll be going off to dance."

"Tori's treating, so order whatever you want." Andre said, as they were shown to a long table set up for all of them. "We don't even have to sit in the servant section." Jade understood that restaurants like this often had a personal assistant slash bodyguard section. It allowed the support person to be near, but not eating with their charge, useful for dates or business meetings where the extra person would be a distraction. Also, some people didn't like eating wit the help.

'And thats what we are, help.' She reminded herself, watching the beautiful people eat dinner. Sucking it up, she tried to enjoy the meal. 'Hired help, but maybe also kinda family, maybe?' Thats when something caught her eye.

Dinner would have been good, a peaceful meal before the club, except that sitting at the next table over was Robbie Shapiro. "Rally?" The gossip Guru asked as he returned from the mens room. "Really? I thought you celebrities types were supposed to avoid the tabloid press. But here you are, practically throwing yourselves at me. Now I have to ask, which one is Tori's date?"

"Lay off, Robbie." Trina replied. "And what are you doing here anyways?"

"My plans got canceled at the last minute, so I'm rewarding some of my better performers with dinner at a nice restaurant. Personally, this place is a bit over priced, but the foods good. Besides, where else can I spend a small fortune on a large bowl of caviar?" Robbie said, and that drew a chuckle from Tori, Trina and Ryder.

"I'm glad we can laugh at that now." Tori commented, a strange, far away smile on her face.

"Now guys, look at that table." Rob asked his people. "We already know about Trina and Ryder, but look at the group, all the bodyguards. What can you tell me?" It was almost abrupt, going from some inside joke that only a handful of people got, to quizzing his employees.

"He's not really using us for an exercise, is he?" Tori asked her sister.

"What, we're just out for a nice dinner." Trina replied.

"Not in those shoes, your not." Robbie said to the older girl. "Those are dancing shoes, more to make your legs look great then look good under a table." Then he addressed his people again. "Their just back from a long world tour, at home for a couple of nights, and their dressed to go out. Anyone?"

"Given their advertised schedule, I'd say the wanna hit a hot club for a couple of hours, then go home." One of his reporters summered. "So I'm guessing the current 'it' spot, L'Idiot"

"Good guess." The host of Robbbarazzi said. "Very good guess. Except for two things. One, Tori doesn't need to be seen at the hottest place. She's a double A list celebrity, and the kind of person they'd love to have come over and hang out. No, the fact that she's eating here, other then their ridiculous prices, is proof enough that she doesn't need that kind of attention."

The gathering at the other table was listening with rapt attention. Even Tori wanted to hear the second part of whatever Robbie had to say. "And Two, Tori's kinda an old fashion girl. She'll stick with the long term celebrity hangouts, not some flash in the pan place. I'm thinking she'll go to Sikowitz's 'Black Box Theater and Club.' She can get past the velvet rope, so why wouldn't she. I want you to reach out, cause she might get drunk, and I wanna know who she kisses at the end of the night."

The sound of young reporters speculating, calling contacts and alerting their preferred photographers dominated the other table for several seconds, before the two groups settled down and ignored each other as politely as possible.

Soon, they were having a wonderful dinner, complete with Robbie Shapiro sending them a bottle of wine, "With my compliments. Make sure Tori gets at least one glass." Despite that jab, they managed to coexist with the tabloid group, enjoying the live music the establishment was famous for. As dinner continued, Tori even walked up to the piano and sang a song for the diners. Robbie commented "Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Trina and Ryder both nodded, while Jade and the others were confused. Cat, for her part, just watched everyone. She knew she'd get that story, later, when she was able to ask one of the people who'd been there.

Dinner ended with a good feeling for everyone, and then Tori's group was back in the car heading over to the club. "So, where we going?" Tori asked.

"Robbie nailed it." Andre said. "I figured you'd have the most fun at the Black Box theater. Sikowitz is a great host, and he was your teacher way back when you went to Hollywood Arts, right?"

"One of his other students opened the club with him as a thank you." Tori told the others, the ones who weren't in the know. "He still teaches, but the clubs like a warm, comfy shoe."

"That, and he knows enough people in the business that there's almost always someone worth going there to celebrity watch." Trina added.

"You celebrity watch?' Jade asked, but she wouldn't get an answer.

"Now Jade, listen up, cause the rules get different at the club." Andre started. "You're job is to keep Tori here safe from the stalker types who get in. Most of them just want an autograph, or something, but they do get drunk, and so there's a danger. However, defense only. Sikwitz has a full security staff, and he'll make sure that we're as safe as possible."

"Only in L.A." Jade murmured, shaking her head at the idea of a club where the draw was the celebrities.

"What?' Tori asked.

"Only in L.A. would you find a club dedicated to celebrity watching." The raven haired girl explained.

"And New York." Trina corrected. "This kind of place is very popular wherever celebrities gather, and as much as other countries have their own, New York and Los Angeles are the world mecca's."

"Got it." Jade replied, watching as they sailed down the streets towards the building where the club was. The Black Box was built on top of an older theater. The upper floors were originally a mix of offices and storage for the original theater, and the whole building was still used for plays and the like. But the roof was reenforced, then the club slash theater was built on top of the building, just off from the strip. This gave it an inedible view, as well as it's own deck area, for when the weather was nice enough to be outside. But the club has plenty of space on it's own, either to be converted into a smallish theater for a play or performance, or opened up as a dance club. And Sikowitz earned his reputation as a host, so the occasional private parties at the Black Box were considered A list, with people bragging about getting an invitation for months after attending one of those events.

They arrived at the clubs entrance, a double door that led to a secured bank of elevators. Like may places in California, there was stares if needed, but the main access was through one of the two elevators, closely guarded and ran by elevator operators dressed in old style uniforms. All of that was hidden behind the impenetrable velvet rope, the gatekeeper being a bouncer, a hulking figure in a nice suit and with a ready scowl.

"Miss Vega, nice to see you again." The bouncer greeted as they walked up to the front of the line. His scowl had morphed into a warm, friendly smile. He motioned her in and lifted the rope, granting entrance before she even made it all the way to the front of the line. The limo would find parking near by, waiting for them to finish their evening of fun. Jade knew how a lot of this part of the evening would go, from the times she'd protected people in New York.

'Then again, I never protected anyone with the kind of influence Vega here has. They tended to go for the high end protection.' The raven haired girl thought. She eyed the line, and the paparazzi watching to see who was going to the club. Apparently this hardly made a ripple, celebrities showing up here being so common. It was almost like the pictures they did take were a curtsey, allowing the celebrities who wanted to the chance to pose and show off who they were wearing for the evening.

"Hi Tony." Tori greeted, giving a friendly smile. "Is Sikwoitz in tonight?"

"Till nine thirty." Tony, the bouncer, said. "Then Mister Alexander takes over."

"Tori, we're holding up the line." Trina scolded her sister. "Come on, lets go find us a table."

The group was let past the velvet rope, and quickly filled an elevator. "I wonder who's here tonight?' Tori asked during the short ride to the top.

Jade realized, with a start, that Tori was actually excited about who might be there that night. Like somehow, just in the ride from the restaurant, the megastar and pop princess had regressed a decade back to the starstruck hopeful who'd appeared on American Voice.

Once they got to the top, now with a four story plus view of the city, they made their way to the VIP section. Another bouncer, also dressed in a nice suit, was waiting for them there. "Miss Vegas, how nice to see you again." The bouncer said, opening the rope for their group. Trina hesitated at the rope long enough to make sure everyone in their party was admitted, but no one else.

"Hi Grant, hows the wife?" Tori started into a conversation with the bouncer, broken only when someone pointed out a celebrity.

Jade didn't blink twice when no less then **Jett Stetson** walked in and found a place to sit in the VIP section. Jett had spent the decade establishing himself as a major talent and sex symbol in Hollywood, the kind of romantic leading man Beck had once envisioned himself as. Jett was a mainstay on television, where his good looks and talent had won him a following. From his breakout roll in New Town High, through his current run as Detective David Cade on L.A. Undercover, he seemed to always be on television, winning the heats of the ladies while holding strong in his time slot. And Tori almost melted when she saw him walk in.

"You're chizzing kidding me, right?" Jade asked. "Yea, he's a step up from Beck, but still, he's not in your league. He's never been the solo lead, except in some made for television romantic crap. His album barely broke even, and his shows all require a whole cast to make up for the lack of depth in his characters."

"And he's a major sex symbol." Tori shot back. "Does that bother you?"

The blue eyed girl looked away quickly, telling herself she saw some movement to her side. "No, it's none of my business if you wanna waste your time with some B list actor."

"Really, cause your the only one here who's arguing against me going over and introducing myself." Tori challenged. "Sometimes, I wanna meet celebrities too. And guess what, Here, I can. I'm just a girl out on the town, enjoying a short break from my day to day work, so why shouldn't I meet a celebrity?"

"Just remember not to get caught up in his hype." Trina cut in. "Your image would take a hit if you had a one night stand. Now go introduce yourself. Jade, stay here, let Andre handle this one."

Tori skipped off to make introductions. Cat, watching the singer go, asked Trina "Didn't they meet a couple of years ago?"

"Yea, but Tori was hung up on Beck back then, so doesn't remember Jett hitting on her." The manager replied. "Jade, watch, this could be fun."

"You set her up?" The bodyguard asked, sounding protective.

"I just let her go meet someone who she didn't think was worth her time three years ago." Trina answered. "But that doesn't mean anything. He may well try to get into her pants tonight, and I trust Andre to keep his head and act as the deterrent in case things get out of hand."

The expected confrontation never happened. Jett was full enough of himself to let go of one megastar not remembering him, instead offering her the chance to sit with him for a while. The romance didn't last, as another celebrity Tori only kinda knew showed up and she ran over to speak with them. Only, along the way, Tori went back to get Jade. "Jade, I have someone you just HAVE to meet."

That how the evening continued. Tori would want Jade near her when she danced, or spoke with someone she knew, often introducing her bodyguard to people who were as confused about the introduction as Jade was. "Sinjin, this is Jade. Jade, Sinjin was a class mate of my sisters, and his father owns Van Cleef Rubber. He's Sikowitz's silent partner. His wife is Mia Sandall, the lingerie model and wanna be actress. Sweet girl, but I'm hoping their kids get their intelligence from Sinjin here."

"So your her bodyguard?" Sinjin asked. Jade noted how he was tall and lanky, with curly hair and glasses that didn't quite fit his face.

"Yea." The blue eyed girl replied. "And I should be watching out for her. Sorry, not one for conversion." Jade guessed he wasn't bad looking, but the big draw for many girls was his families money.

"I totally get that." The tall boy replied. "But what you're probably missing here is, bodyguards can't always just blend into the background until needed. I'm just saying, you're on the dance floor, so dance."

"Aren't you married?" The raven haired girl asked.

"I'm not saying to dance with me." Sinjin replied with a sly smile. "Tori, she's lovely. I think she's the perfect person for when you need discreet protection in the bathroom."

Jade ignored what she assumed was a dig at her, and tried to take his advice seriously. She was on the dance floor, so she danced, but quickly found that dancing with Tori meant dancing WITH Tori. Jade found the girl to love touching during the dance, often wanting to be dipped or twirled or something, as opposed to the mostly solo dancing that people tended to do in clubs like that. Jade, being a trooper, just went along and did her part.

Eventually the evening dragged on, with Jade left wondering what was going on. Up until that evening, there had been two very distinct worlds Jade lived in. One was the private life of Tori Vega, where she was watching out for the pop princess as the girl went through her many moods, including rebellious, where they'd go someplace together. But the public world of Tori Vega had always included her being a visible deterrent, and nothing more. Now, in the dance club, she'd somehow blurred the two worlds, and while Tori was at home, she was lost in a new set of rules.

Tori knew these people. Knew them well enough to want to introduce them to her people. So Jade was being shown off, like a prize corgi at a dog show. "Andre, did she ever do that with you?" Jade asked.

"Different world here." The head of security informed her. "They know one another, and introduce members of their entourage to each other. Yea, I've been introduced to a few of her friends. Never show off like that though."

Before she could reply, ask what he'd meant by that, Tori was back again. "Jade, Francis is here tonight. Oh, you have to meet him. He's Masons son, You've heard of Mason, right, the producer and head of Neutronium who is also the mastermind behind American Voice? His son, Francis, is here tonight. And you have to meet him."

Jade was dragged to another table where a young man, probably at most in his early twenties, sat with a strawberry blond haired girl who seemed to know Tori. Jade didn't say a word as Tori and this boy exchanged words. 'Their not friends, just work adjacent.' Jade noted. Still, they were polite enough, even if the blond girl, Rhoda, was starring daggers at her.

By the time they left, Jade was seriously thinking she'd been along as accessory for Tori's outfit, and not protection. She'd escorted her employer to the restrooms, but that was about it. Most of the evening she'd danced fist next to Tori, then with her, or she sat near her as the girl spoke with people, many the starlet knew, and more then a few she didn't. 'Tori didn't have to introduce herself to every celebrity watcher she saw.' The girl silently groused. 'It's just not safe.'

They reached the street below, and the massing paparazzi waiting for them. Now Jade and the others shifted into work mode. Bill and Ron went first, pushing a path through the press, then Jade grabbed Tori's elbow and guided her through the hole and to the limo. Ryder stayed near Trina, while Andre took up the rear, watching out for any possible trouble. Other then a thousand photo's of Tori, nothing much happened. They got in the limo, and that evenings adventure was over.

The ride home was strange, with Tori doing all the talking, mostly about the various people she'd met "For the first time ever" that night. Jade had to wonder how many she'd met before. Trina promised to tell her later, once she'd checked with Kasey for the tally, and updated the megastars contact list.

"It really boils down to if she was with Beck or not." The older woman said, watching as Tori went into her list of people who weren't there who she'd wished were. "If he was on her mind, then she might not remember meeting someone 'she just had to meet.'" Trina's fingers made bunny ears. "But then theirs the sad fact that some big name people just don't live up to the hype. Like the time we met Mick Jagger. Honestly, there are pictures, video, everything, and not the one of us has a clue what he was like. There was this old man, however, who we all felt needed to be in a home. Oh yea, and Keith Richards was a trip. Or on a trip. Either way, he was fun."

Jade chuckled at Trina's revelation while sitting back and listening, enjoying the gossip. Tori, however, wasn't listening, instead talking about the various stars and somebodies she'd met, had met, or was gonna meet.

Back at Tori's home, the megastar was still gushing about her evening. "Did you see? Tyler was there, and he was all jealous cause I had the best looking entourage in the club."

"People don't get jealous of that." Trina assured her. "Look, we stayed out later then we'd intended. Still, it was nice catching up with Sikowitz. Maybe we'll do it again after the tour."

"Sikowitz was there?' Tori asked. "How come I didn't see him?"

"Cause you were busy meeting up with other celebs." Ryder reminded her. "But he was there. We talked a bit about old time, who was doing what, the usual."

"The usual includes that list of his students who could use a break, and the ones in school who'd be good for any kind of roll." Trina added, smiling. "Always trying to get his people noticed. I'll admit, he got me, and you, auditions for American Voice. But, his contacts only go so deep."

"I could have used someone looking out for me, back in high School." Jade groaned. Then she shook it off. "Whats done is done. So, we're leaving early tomorrow?"

"We have to be at the radio station early for Tori here's interview, then we're heading back here for her television interview. You know what happens next. Now it's later then I'd intended, so go to bed."

Jade managed to be awake for the morning, watching her client's back as they hit the different appointments. The radio show was the usual, something jade was starting to get bored with. She honestly wondered how Tori could continue to stay pumped up for these radio interviews when most of them were so generic. It almost made her miss that station in Hawaii. Almost. But Tori was an old pro at this, telling them the basics, playing along with whatever games they might have planned, and jut getting through her limited time on the air. "The smart D.J.'s take calls." Tori told her bodyguard on the way back to the house. "The questions are the same, but at least the fans feel like their a part of the conversation." They got back with some time to kill before the interview, so both girls took a short nape, then got dressed with an eye towards who they were supposed to be impressing. Then the people for the television interview arrived, and it was back to work.

The interview was being taped for the next mornings Good Morning AM, a nationally seen show on one of the major networks. Jade was able to sit back and relax since their home security handled most of the possible threats. Still, she did a patrol, and waved hi to the communities patrol. They were both friendly and professional, making sure they knew everyone who was supposed to be there, often carrying photos of guests on their phones. Jade admired how thorough they were, since it meant she didn't have to be stopped and spoken with more then once. They had her picture as a reference, and would know who she was the next time they saw her. 'As long as your honest and up to date with them, they know who is and is not supposed to be here. Thats good.' She reminded herself. Then she headed back to the house.

By the time Trina split off from Tori's group, Jade was both ready for a change, and worried that the public appearance would be too good an opportunity for someone to try something. Not even the sight of so many policed officers eased her mind. But she knew her job, and followed Trina to the car and off to their meeting with this Phillip person. 'I just don't trust people without last names.'

Trina, for her part, was totally calm about Tori's safety, trusting the police presence to keep any bad people at bay. "Jade, relax, the cops have this. After all, we're family, and they protect their own." Trina assured the bodyguard as they rode to their next appointment. "Now, when we get to Phillip, just do as I ask, and everything's gonna go fine, okay? Lets just get though this, cause Phillip, he's a trip, if a little full of himself." She let that statement stand, enjoying the rest of the ride to his office, as well as the look on Jade's face..

The director office was in one of those tall buildings that L.A. has but pretends it doesn't. He'd wanted one on a studio lot, but found the rent to be too much, so he chose this building instead, conveniently close to several talent agents, as well as the strip, and a whole bunch of trendy places where people went to eat. He was away from the studios, but that no longer mattered. He was close to what he needed, and a lot of people who he liked to work with. Jade rode in the elevator, thinking of how this building had the wrong look for so many people in the entertainment industry to have offices here. It looked like you'd expect any office building to look, down to the elevators with bland brownish walls. "So whats this Phillip like?" She asked. Trina just smiled.

:}

Okay, kinda another ay in the life type chapter, but I did cover some material here. Like how many cops might be peeved if something happened to Tori, or what Sikowitz was up too. I'd mention all the references, but I wasn't counting, so you'll have to just assume I did. Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter, and that you never find yourself having dinner next to a table full of paparazzi.

So, thought, comments, wishes for world peace. Make then in the review section, and who knows, maybe someone will be inspired. Also, what do you suppose Phillip is like?


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters. I make no money.

:}

Phillip, it turned out, was an early graduate of Hollywood Arts who also happened to be a struggling director. He was, however, known around Hollywood for his eye for talent, causing him to find success as a casting director. A man of middling height and less then fabulous looks, he still maintained an air of importance around him. His graying brown hair was worn in a crew cut, along with a tight beard, making him look like an aging bohemian. And he preferred to dress in light colored slacks and a business casual dress shirt. Jade would watch as Trina went over different businesses with him, spiraling into lunch, then afterwords she was expected to do a couple of readings for them. Jade just tried not to let herself be lulled into complacency, and when they went to lunch, made a point of watching everyone around them. It kept her mind busy, until she was needed for something else.

"I understand you're into martial arts?" Phillip asked her during lunch, It seemed to be out of the blue, given the boring details he and Trina had been going over for some of the side projects she had invested in, both for herself and Tori. "How much control do you have? If I were to place two boards only an inch apart, could you break one and only touch the other?"

"As long as the board you want broken is the front one, yes." Jade said, toying with her salad.

"You're gonna have to show me that." Trina said.

They didn't say anything more about it until they were back in his office, a little before one, where somehow he had already had someone set up the boards. "Jade, if you may, I have this bet with Trina, where she claim's someone could snap the front board and leave the second one unscathed with what, maybe an inch between them? Now, if you'd be so kind, I'll settle this bet I have with her, as well as a couple of my closest friend, right now." The bodyguard looked him over, stepping to where the boards were set up, gathering herself to the task at hand. "Wait!" Her eyes were on the man as he pulled out a video camera and set it up to record her. A second camera was held by one of his assistants. "Now, if you please..."

The blue eyed girl used a palm strike to snap the first board, while barely tapping the second. She knew that was an impressive feat, one many people capable of breaking boards couldn't do. It spoke of her skill and control, two things valued in the martial arts world. A broad smile crossed her face at that accomplishment. "You know, Trina, it has to be easy with the hand. Yes, hands are easier to control. Now what I'd love to see is if she could do that with, say, a kick?"

The assistant produced another board, in the process showing Jade a whole pile of potential kindling, and proceeded to set the boards up again before resuming his position behind the hand held camera. "You want me to only break the first board using a kick, right?" Jade asked. "Straight, side or spinning?" She didn't wait for an answer, spinning around to snap the back board while pulling up short to avoid damaging the front one. That led to several more kicks, a few acrobatic moves, all while repeatedly snapping boards while showing off her athleticism. At some point, they added her reciting lines between the displays, sometimes right before a hand strike or kick destroyed another board. Before she knew it, Jade had spent a good half hour showing off her fighting skills, snapping and kicking and tossing assistants onto the couch, all while reading lines for the man, before Phillip shifted and just read lines with her.

"You know, Jade, you're actually a fairly good actress. Maybe you could help me out with another project? I have this scrips, and none of my female assistants are that good at a cold read. Maybe you could go over this with me, help me see if it needs anything? I'm sure your ready for a break from the heavy exertion, maybe ready to take a rest." Phillip suggested. Jade nodded and looked over the script. This time, they were reading lines from some romantic comedy.

"Now, imagine Tori reading these lines instead of her." Phillip said to Trina. "Just think about how she'd look playing this part." They proceeded to go through the scene, more then once, with Phillip giving Jade suggestions for how to improve the performance between takes. Then they moved on to the next project.

"Is this everything we're doing until you leave?" Jade asked Trina as she sucked down some water. She'd read scrips from at least three different stories while waiting for her body to recover.

"I was gonna have you stand there and let him take a couple of pictures of you." The manager teased. "But yea, I wanted to see what these rolls looked like. You're a tad rusty, but the talent is definitely there."

"I agree." Phillip said, smiling. "I can't wait to show her around. I should have something withing a couple of weeks."

"Send me everything." Trina replied. "But she can't take any dates before the end of the tour. After that, we're open." She hesitated. "That is, unless it's too good an opportunity to pass up."

"Good." The man said. "Now, Miss West, we could go over a couple of other scenes, just to show your range, but I think we have a very good idea already. No need to overdo it. Leave a surprise or two, make them ask for an audition. For now, it's about selling, and between Trina and me, give us the right product, and we can sell it."

"Then why didn't you try and sell Beck?" Trina asked. It had been a sticking point for her, one that had bothered her for a couple of years now. While she may not have liked what Beck had done to Tori, she'd always tried to do solid by him, so having Phillip never give Beck a chance had bothered her, made her feel like she hadn't done everything she could for him.

"Because I don't like him." Phillip replied. His face contorted in disgust at the name alone. "It's more then the way he treated Bernice. One date and dump, even a one night stand based on false presences, thats understandable. I may not like it, but this is Hollywood, and that shit happens. Better she learn that early then have someone use her. No, Beck just strikes me as the wrong type to be in bed with. I don't want to be associated with him when his shit gets out. I'll stay with the pending disasters I know, thanks you."

"Jade's his ex." Trina added.

"This was an audition?" Jade had been so sure it wasn't, that Trina valued her as a bodyguard so much she wouldn't risk losing her, that it never occurred to her that it might be anything else. 'But I've been blacklisted.' It had been obvious, that they were judging her skills, but the girl was so sure that blacklisted meant no one would touch her, so this couldn't have been an audition.

"I know." Phillip responded to Trina, smirking. "But I've heard her American voice audition, and it makes for an interesting back story. Then, we have the cage fighting. That helps sell her. She has good skeletons in her closet."

Jade was still trying to get through her own thoughts. "But I've been blacklisted."

"There are ways off the blacklist, depending on how you got on it in the first place." The casting director said. "With Trina here recommending you, as well as that dick Mister Oliver, I can still shop you around."

"Beck's supporting her?' Trina asked.

"His people called me again, suggested she'd look good opposite him in some rolls." Phillip said offhandedly. "Personally, I think he's trying to get off my blacklist. Won't happen. After everything else, he's a romantic leading man. I mean, you've read his interview about that, how underpaid good, solid actors like him are compared to the, and I quote, 'Shaved, barely literate ape men that are featured doing action movies today.' Unquote. Boy didn't win himself any friends when he said that."

Trina laughed. "That was from four years ago. People forget."

"Then let him show me he's changed, is ready for the genre, and maybe I'll give him a shot." Phillip said. "After all, I do owe you one." Trina raised a curious eyebrow. "You brought me this one." Trina gathered jade around her, and started to leave, when he called out one more thing. "And Jade, the way you were blacklisted, it won't keep you from rolls. Not with the people I'll be shopping you too. And for the record, being Tori's bodyguard helps too, cause that disintegrates the image that your trying to get past. So relax, and trust in me. I know, never trust someone who says trust me, which is why I say trust in me, and have faith in my desire to make a lot of money off of your talent."

"Thanks." The black haired girl murmured as she was led out the door to the elevator. One of Phillips assistants was holding it for them. He made sure Jade had Phillips card, then pushed the first floor button and let them go.

"What the hell was that?" Jade asked, not sure how to respond. She'd managed to stay quiet, even graceful, until they were in the car. That was when the rage hit. 'I don't like being tricked.' she thought. "I don't like being tricked."

Trina just sighed. "I had my reasons for this." The manager said calmly. 'Funny, I expected her to be pissed.'

"You set me up!" Jade accused.

"And you performed well above expectations." Trina said, keeping her neutral expression. "I'm not gonna mention how some people would be thrilled to have a meeting like that, cause I already knew you'd be upset. Frankly, if I'd had it my way, we'd have left before he told me whether or not he could sell you. That way, I could break it to you more... discreetly."

"And what made you so sure I'd be wazzed?" The raven haired girl asked, not even caring it was an odd question. She was mad. Moreover, she was confused about why she was mad.

"You'd moved on, put that part of your life behind you, and I set this up without even asking you." The older girl said. "Knowing you, I knew that would upset you. Then there's the fear of falling on your face. I'll get you an acting coach, have them work with you, and Tori, during your off time. That should make things a touch easier. Still, there is always that risk. But once I get your name out there, you'll make more then you do now, for less risk."

The bodyguard was still furious, wanting to let this girl have it for essentially doing her a favor. Trina continued. "Of course, we'll be holding off until the tours over, unless you want to quit. Somehow, I doubt you do. I suspect, and I could be wrong, but I'm thinking you don't want Tori left unprotected."

"Why?" Jade forced out through clinched teeth. She was shaking, but the mention of the singer had grabbed her attention, allowing her to hear and process.

"Why the meeting, or why am I sure you don't wanna quit?" The manager asked, looking carefully at her employee. She knew better then to be jovial at a time like this, but she needed to be clear. "Shall I start with why I knew you'd be pissed?"

Jade nodded, clinching her fists together, and holding off any words until she knew what she might say. 'I'm not sure I want to know why she's so sure I won't quite.'

"You want the excuse, or the real reason?" The manager asked.

"Give mew both, but let me know which is which." The blue eyed girl said after taking a deep breath. It was getting frustrating.

"I wanted you to be able to date Tori, and I know you'd never allow yourself to date a client." The brown eyed girl was still calm, holding her own with just the truth. "This way, when the tour is over, you can ask her out. I really didn't want to meddle in her love life again, but with everything thats going on with Ryder, I just figured."

"And the excuse?" Jade asked, calmer, but still upset.

"Funny, but this is also true, just not my reason for arranging this meeting." Trina started. Jade rolled her eyes and tried to will the other girl to go faster. "I did it cause Tori asked me too. She hates that Beck cost you your shot at fame, and wanted me to see if she could give it back to you. Admittedly, I'd have waited a bit longer if I were just doing it for Tori. I really like you as a bodyguard, and want you to look after her until the tour ends. Hell, I want you to look after her after the tour ends."

Trina shifted to look the other girl in the face, dropping her professional dispassion. "The mistake I'd made with Beck was I chose him based on his looks, and the likely reaction Tori would get from the fans, when they found out she was dating him. He was being voted out of the competition soon enough anyways, so that kept him on Television, what I thought was his payment for the act. Of course, they had chemistry, and Tori fell for his charms. I wish I'd have made it clear that this act, the relationship, it was only for a short duration."

"I can see that." Jade said, now calmer. "So your interfering in her love life, despite regretting doing it last time." The other reasons, why she might not quit, had already already been implied, just not said.

"Your not Beck." Trina said. "I know you far better then I knew him when I made the deal with him. Hell, I think I know you now better then I know him. Why the hell is he trying to help us, you?"

"He woke up, looked at himself, and realized he didn't like what he saw?" The blue eyed girl guessed. It tasted wrong, but it was all she had at the moment.

"So, anyways, I can't say whether or not Tori will date you. I just set the table, you two have to decide to partake." The manager said, smiling.

"So, it's gonna be our decision." Jade said, testing it out in her mind. "Okay, cause Tori wanted it. But, I agree, not until the tour is over."

"There is one other thing." The manager added. "As your agent and manager, I get fifteen percent. I got licensed as an agent, but do the work of both an agent, a manager, and a publicist. That sound fair?'

"Yea, takes the pressure off of me." Jade agreed. "Wait, thats commissions for acting, right? I still get my day job pay."

"Yep." Trina agreed. "Now lets go tell Tori how it went. And Andre. And maybe Ryder, even though he wasn't in on this one."

"About him," Jade felt awkward asking, "Um, you know he's smitten, right? I mean, how's he gonna handle me getting this break?"

"Ryder is... A complicated guy." The other girl said. "He became a bodyguard cause he kinda fell into it, and he was good at it. But, I'm going to be changing his roll, once the tour is over."

"Why?" The raven haired girl pushed.

"Two reasons." Trina said. "First, we're changing the way we do security. Gonna have multiple layers. That means a small group around Tori while she'd at home, and extras, usually hired by the day or the tour, for when we're heading out. I'm going to rely on Andre, with Ryder's help, to build this whole thing up."

"Makes sense." Jade said, nodding. "I have some recommendations of my own."

Trina's smile screamed placation. "The second reason is I'm planing on stopping with the birth control in couple of months. Just as soon as we get back from the south and central American tours. So I'm gonna need a Manny, someone to watch the kids while I'm at work."

"uuu" Jade tried to make a sound as her mind processed. "um, who's, I mean, who are… Damn."

"I'm only sleeping with Ryder." Trina said, still smiling. "And we may choose a more formal arrangement, should we both want it. But for now, this is what I want."

"And does Ryder know?" Jade wondered aloud.

"I'll tell him." The olde girl said. "Once I'm pregnant, I'll let him know."

They rode in silence for a bit longer, neither knowing just what to say. "Shouldn't he have the right…?" Jade opened.

"If he wants to be the father." Trina countered. "If not, then I have to do something. I mean, girls get pregnant all the time, then don't bother to tell the father. All those guys are is a sperm donor. Kinda uncomfortable when the young'uns ask who their father is, but..."

"And if he wants kids, but isn't ready yet?" The bodyguard asked.

"You wanna hear why life sucks?" The older girl asked back. Not bothering to wait for an answer, she continued. "You come to the conclusion that your ready, that you want something, and that should be it. The next problem should be how do you get it. But no, life has to take what is, in principle, a very simple situation, and makes it far more complicated." She looked over to make sure Jade was listening.

"Ever since you told me he was smitten, I've been thinking about what I want in life. I've made Tori a lot of money. Hell, I'm rich all on my own. So now, approaching the end of my twenties, I'm ready to have a family." The brown eyed girl threw her hands up in frustration. "But do I just want a family? Nooo, my heart wants His kids. Ryder's. I want a bunch of little Daniels running around, needing me to wipe their runny noses, and write stupid I love you notes for their lunch boxes well before they can fucking read. And I just can't stop thinking about how they'd look like the best of us, me and him."

"Trina." Jade interrupted her boss. "Um, maybe you should talk to him about this, let him know what you want. I'm just saying, he may be more open to the idea of a family then you've let on."

"His dad's a jerk." The manager added.

"Then think of it this way. You just did me a solid, trying to help me get a foothold in a business thats almost impossible to just get into." Jade tried. "You may have been doing it for selfish reasons, but it was still a nice thing. But I was angry, cause you did it behind my back. Now how do you imagine Ryder would feel if he found out you'd planned a pregnancy without telling him?"

"I think a lot of guys wouldn't care." The Latina said. "And others would be proud of themselves, cause they'd think it proved they were a man. But I totally get it." She sighed. "I'll let him know whats going on. Just, your gonna do your best, as a bodyguard, and as a potential star. The whole romance bit, I'll try to let nature take care of that." She offered a reassuring smile. 'With as much push as Andre and I can muster.'

That night, Jade found herself in a dress Trina had chosen for her. It was the same indigo dress Mark Winestien had gotten her for that night in New York. Trina had managed to get the remnants of the fight not so much removed as blended into the patter of the tight, revealing dress, making it both fashionable and giving her an edgy look. "You don't think this dress is sending the wrong message?" The bodyguard asked.

"You can look but don't touch?" Trina teased. "Or don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?"

"No singing." Jade stopped her from going on.

"All the girls are dressing up for this evening, many showing off what they have." Trina said, more serious. "This dress says a lot about you, how sexy and toned you are, while leaving just enough to the imagination. It's perfect."

"It has nothing to do with you wanting me to date your sister, right?" The blue eyed girl asked.

"She has her arm candy for the night, and so do you." The manager said. "No, this is just helping you blend in as much as possible while standing out. Now put your shoes on, we have to go."

"Fuck me boots?" Jade asked.

"They go with the dress." Trina assured her, not bothering to hide the smirk.

In the other house, Andre was hurrying Tori along. "Come on, Tori, we wanna get to the car before Trina and Jade. We'll never live it down if they beet us again."

"You know, I do have the space for an extra garage, and I like the idea of having extra living space. It'd be good to have someone in security living here full time. Do you think an extra building, a garage and living space would be a good idea?" Tori commented, checking that everything looked perfect. After the signing, she'd come home to be met by her hair and makeup people. This was her premiere, so she had to look perfect. "Wait, who's my escort for the evening again?"

"It was originally gonna be Beck, but those plans got scrapped a while ago, so Trina and the studio decided to have you go with Tyson Rennals, the up and coming heart throb." Kasey said. "He's gonna be meeting you here, soon, so you should probably be ready asap."

"Yea, yea." Tori walked out of the room she'd converted into a closet and dressing room, wearing a designer number made especially for her to wear that evening. Tori knew that afterwords, she'd be returning the dress, but didn't much care. She looked good. "So?"

"You look amazing." Andre said. "Jade'll be thinking of you all night."

"What?" Tori asked.

"Sorry, I meant Tylor will be thinking of you all night." Andre corrected himself. "And the press will love you."

"They'd better." The singer said. "This material isn't as comfortable as they claimed. It doesn't breath the way they promised it would."

"But you look good." Ryder assured her. "And isn't that what matters."

The doorbell rang, letting them know that Tylor had arrived. Only he hadn't. Cat was standing there, dressed nicely, looking ready for a night on the town. "Oh, hi, I got myself a ticket, and was thinking maybe I could go over with you guys. Is that cool?'

Tori walked over to hug her friend and business manager. "Of course it's cool. I'm so happy you'll be with me tonight."

"Don't let Jade see you hugging her." Dre joked.

"What?" Cat sounded surprised, but was only barely managing to hid her smirk.

"Nothing." Tori glared at her bodyguards, then turned her smile on Cat. "They're just saying Jade's a bit proactive about my fan interactions."

Jade was staring at Tori from the moment the starlet walked to the car, escorted by Tyler. The bodyguard told herself it was just her professional curiosity, and nothing more. "Jade, I'm afraid you'll have to ride in the second car, with Beck." Trina announced. "That way, we can all fit. Seems Tyler here brought his handlers."

"I'm security." Jade protested.

"Then we call Beck, have him show up first." Trina said. Malcolm jumped to make the call.

"I like the dress." Tori told Jade. "Where's the rest of it?"

"Yea, it is a bit tight, but it breaths well, and covers more then you'd think. The rips, they're an adaptation based on the damage it took when I got in a fight in a dive bar. My client at the time was there, and things went down hill." Jade replied. "But it gives the wrong impression, that I'm just arm candy. I should have worn a suit."

"Sorry, what?" Tori asked, pulling her eyes from the other girls chest. "It's just, thats tight, and yet you say it breaths? Can you move? Dance? Maybe I should switch with you."

"Only if I can watch." Tyler joked. "Sorry, but if we're gonna meet up with another car first, we need to get moving."

"No need." Trina said. "Beck's here. Jade, swap cars so we can get the secondary people all fit in. And be nice."

Jade grumbled as she walked over to Beck's limo, sitting down next to Enzo. A redhead sat on her other side, between her and Beck. "Becks' with me tonight." The girl said in a low, threatening voice. The pale girl just counted the ways she could dismember the girl and let it go.

Beck made introductions. "Jade, this is Ashley White, a model and very friendly girl. Ashley, this is Jade, an old friend and Enzo's escort for the evening."

"I figured she was a pro." Ashley said, smirking.

"Hay, she's practically my sister." Enzo snipped.

"Relax, I can fight my own battles." Jade calmed her long time friend down. "So, Beck, moved on from Sophie already? Bills gonna be hurt. I think be liked her."

"Sophie and I just realized we wanted different things in life." Beck said. "Like I wanted Ashley here, and she wanted a rich boyfriend who would buy her chiz. Tell Bill I probably saved him from a world class rejection."

"I'm sure he'll be grateful." Jade drolled.

"Man, this is like old times." Enzo said. "Except I'm in a tux, and Jade's wearing the sluttiest thing I can remember seeing her in, ever."

"So it's understandable that I mistook her for a pro, right?" Ashley said, smiling a very fake smile.

"Can I kill her, just a bit?" Jade's smile was more predatory.

"Try it bitch, I do karate." The model shot back.

"I was a cage fighter, training for MMA." Jade said, still smiling. "Wanna see who's better?"

"No offense, Jade, but Ashley here can suck start a Ford F-150, so she wins." Beck said, smiling. Then to his date he added "But in a fight, Jade would rip you apart, babe. However, she's here as part of the security force, so lets all get along, okay?"

Jade worried that this girl would be proud of how Beck judged her superiority, but soon let that go. Ashley had her own plans, and snagging bachelor Beck was one of them. "So, I'm there to help out if something goes down, while Enzo here is gonna be there cause…?" She asked.

"Cause Tori would never expect me to set things up just so you could see the film." Beck replied. "Jade, you may not realize it, but I've been on Tori's side for a long time. I was just so frustrated that her career just kept climbing, while I stalled. Also, I really do like some pretty kinky stuff, and Tori was far too much of a bore."

"I'm kinda a freak." The redhead pointed out.

"I know babe." He said, soothing her with his words.

"So, you got to date a hot girl, and go to parties, even stay on television for a little longer then the show would have allowed otherwise." Jade said, her voice edging on sarcasm. "I suppose it did help. People love a good romance."

"Please, I helped more then even Trina realizes." Beck said.

"Really?" The bodyguard challenged,

"You remember that Riley chick?" He said, his voice getting lower. "I found out she'd been playing the tragic past for a sympathy, and wanted to do something about it. Well, she knew her time was running out, and so we made a deal."

"Deal?" Jade and Ashley echoed one another.

"Yea, I told her I was interested in a winner, and spent a great deal of time with her as Tori was preparing for the next competition." The pretty boy explained. "I caused her to not be ready for the show, and she didn't have any excuses, cause I made it clear I had proof she'd seduced me. She was the real threat to Tori, and if I'm honest, boring girl had more of an upside. But it's not all bad. Riley did manage to cut herself a career. I see her performing in Vegas sometimes."

"I don't know if I should feel sick of just sorry for you?" The blue eyed girl asked.

"Jade, whats wrong? Upset I was willing to do what I had to in order to win?" Her one time friend asked. "I knew Tori was my ticket. Thats why, when the show was over, I made damn sure we were still dating. Hell, I even kinda fell for her. I mean, I still have feelings for her, and want her to have the best life possible. That is, assuming I get a better one. And this whole George Clooney lifestyle suits me."

"I'm sure I could make you happy." Ashley said, rubbing her body against his.

"But the other thing I realized, once I was free from miss prissy, was that I'd done something really bad." He looked out the window, searching the night for something he'd lost a long time ago. "I'd hurt a friend. Jade, I know I'm a bit of an ass, cause most girls exist to be used. But you, you were my friend first, before your being a girl got in the way of us being friend. I'd like to help you out. I know Phillip hates my guts, but I still called and asked him to consider you. I know you still have a shot in the movies. Maybe even working on an action film with me? Just, don't be a bodyguard the rest of your life. You can do so much more with your talents. And I miss you. Not the girlfriend, cause god, you were smothering me. But my friend, the guy named Jade, I miss him."

"And what are you hoping to get out of this, cause I'm not sleeping with you." The bodyguard asked.

"I have all the pun tang I can handle." He bragged. "No, I'm putting the band back together, and really, you don't have a roll with us. Not any more. But if you were to be my friend and hanger on, I'm sure we could have us some fun. Just, I'd recommend you get real interested in the ladies, cause I'd want to have you date the fat ones." He smirked. "Just kidding, I have plenty of guys to date the fat ones. I need you to date the lesbians, and make me seem more open minded."

"Beck, I'm living my own life now." The raven haired girl said, trying not to be offended by her ex's antics. "I like my job. I like Trina, and Tori, and Andre and Ryder. Hell, I like Bill and Ron. I like my life. And if I do try something new, it's not gonna be cause I want to be one of your followers, no offense." She glanced at Enzo.

"Non taken." He replied.

"So your gonna stick it out with Tori, even in the offer of a chance to make it in Hollywood?" Beck asked.

"At least for the remainder of the tour." She assured him. "Tori also asked Phillip.."

"I knew that." Beck cut her off. "Of course I knew it. Jade, Tori's often a child, not thinking about the consequences of her actions, defiantly pushing to have things her way. Sometimes, she forgets that everyone has dreams, and only once in all the years I've known someone who's dream was to work for her, and that was Trina. And even that was after the talentless one got her ass laughed off the stage at an American Voice audition."

Jade's glare was cold, piercing, enough to make even Ashley shift away from her. "But, as I was saying, of course I knew she wanted you to go to that audition." He continued, acting unaffected by his ex's glare. "She cares about you. I just want her to have as good a friend as I once had. Trust me, she's gonna need it. Once the tour is over, and she's settled in to a life where she has a lot of choices, she's gonna need someone to help her figure out who she really is. Trina, as much as she loves Tori, never gave her that option. She's gonna need a friend."

Jade didn't know what to make of this Beck. His misogyny was on full display, but at the same time, so was the part of him she'd first been attracted to, years ago. It was strange how, now, she could so clearly see how he'd divided the world. She'd straddled two worlds for him, and dating was squarely in the one where she had to be less then him. But the other, the one she was in now, was one where he could wish her the best, cause she was his friend.

Even Enzo and the others were more then just his backup, his entourage. They did more then feed his ego. Beck could be the big man, just like he was back in school, but at the same time, he was trying to bring them with him. Finding a life for them that was more then the streets of New Jersey. Enzo wasn't coming to the premiere to serve Beck, or back him up in a fight. No, the boy was coming both to give Jade an excuse to be there, and cause Beck really wanted one of his friends at the premiere. "If this was your movie, would you be bringing your whole crew?" She heard herself asking.

"Who said I didn't inviting them tonight?" He shot back. "But a musical biopic about Ginger Fox? Come on, other then Enzo here, who's a closet girl about celebrities, who among them would want to see it? No, you go do an action flick, and we'll all be there opening night."

'How hard is it for him, being that bastard, and this friend, both at the same time?' She wondered, again. "So, Tori..." She started, again.

"Look, I'm not pushing, but Enzo here thinks you and her have a shot, and I agree." Beck said. Ashley, for her part, looked pleased that Beck thought Jade was interested in Tori, or anyone other then him. "I told Trina, back in Bermuda, that I would be fine if she liked pussy. It makes her less of a bore."

"And wouldn't it make you look like her beard?" Enzo fed him that question.

"No, I'd spin it as the girl next door just lived in her image so long, she forgot that the girl next door could be a lesbian. Tori loved me like a friend, and convinced both of us it was real. Then, because of that lie, we eventually hurt one another, breaking up, and causing me and Trina to blame one another. Thus, the feud. I'll admit, I had help coming up with the details, but we can sell it, and we all wind up winning. I mean, Tori as gay? Even that tool, Shapiro, called it years ago." Beck smiled at how Ashley reacted to his little speech, the obvious planned end for his and Trina's feud. "Look, we're here. Now Jade, on the red carpet, we explain you're an old friend, and practically Enzo's brother. No lies about why your with him, just a fun night out, okay?" She nodded. "Good, cause it's showtime." Beck said as he opened the door.

:}

Gotta love the duality of Beck. Such an ass, but in his own way, try9ing to be a good friend. He reminds me of the guy who tries to be nice to his less attractive buddies by offering them the girls he's done with. This was a fun chapter to write. Also, kinda liked Phillip.

Your thoughts? What kind of night is jade in for? Guess well have to wait for next time.

So, review, cause I wanna know what you think of Phillip? Beck? What about Ashley? Trina's after tour plans? I'm thinking I covered a few spaces in this one.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Victorious and it's characters belong to Schneider's bakery. I own only what I create. I make mo profit off of these stories.

:}

Jade would remember the experience of the premiere for years. It was the first, and only experience the entire tour where she'd gone to an event, with Tori, without having to play any other roll then just being Jade. From their walk past the red carper, cause they weren't nearly important enough to deserve treading on it's sacred threads, to waiting in the theater for the starts to finish making their entrances and sit down, she never once had to be security. Enzo managed to get them out to the lounge area for drinks as the stars and celebrity guests showed up. The security at the theater was top notch, only allowing her and her semi-brother to get near Tori when Trina told them it was okay. She then tried to take a position near by, in case of trouble, but even Enzo seemed to know that was ridiculous. "Sis, they got this. I've counted maybe a hundred cops out there, in their suits from Sears that scream sucker. Look, we're covered. I doubt anyone would try chiz with that much cover here." She just rolled her eyes at the obscure joke and continued to look around.

Jade did manage to get a couple of words with Tori, but only just, before Robbie Shapiro made his entrance. He was, naturally, on the red carpet, telling the press that "I've known Tori a long time. Do you think, as a friend, I wouldn't be here for her. Of course I would. Tonight isn't about her secret orientation, which, news flash, isn't even news any more. It's 2020. We're an open society now. No, this is about her movie, which reminds us that while she's America's girl next door, she's also a mega talent who deserves all the praise she's gotten. Now, if you don't mind, I've been told that tool Beck Oliver is here tonight, and I need to know if he rents his dates by the hour, or the day."

Jade was in the background, just inside the theater, when Robbie Shapiro gave his interview. 'Robbie Shapiro, star of Robbie Shapiro presents Robbarazzi.' She reminded herself. She then mingled, trying to look out for anyone armed, only to have Enzo escort her back to the VIP section.

"Beck cleared things up. We're gonna hang with him for a bit. Then, the movie." He told her. "By the way, is that Cat chick seeing anyone? She's kinda on the small side, but she's definitely cute, and I like em like that."

"I think I heard something about her getting married." Jade replied, feeling a bit awkward talking about Cat's love life. 'We don't hang out any more. I only know from when I worked for her, over a year ago.'

"Jade, how many pictures have they taken of you yet?" Beck asked, pointing at the numerous photographers about. It felt like an odd question, but she knew Beck might just be comparing notes. Part of the reason for being here, for him and for Tori, was to have their picture taken.

"None." She replied. "I'm thinking even this dress isn't enough to get the perve photographers attention."

"Nudity would do it, but otherwise, there are girls here in less, showing more, and getting nothing. The press is after celebrity stories, not the random nobodies who managed to talk their way into the premiere." The actor explained. "But come, we have some work to do." He led them to the plane blue wall someone had scribed the name of the movie on, over and over, used by the press for a lot of their interviews. With Ashley by his side, and Enzo in toe, it was Beck's turn to be interviewed.

He answered a few basic questions, like who his date was, what label he was wearing, stuff like that. Along the way, he assured the press that his date was just another girl he was seeing, and not a prostitute. "I don't pay for companionship." He reminded them. "But speaking of paid companionship, or at least friends on my payroll, I managed to do a solid for my man, Enzo here." He gestured to his friend. "Not only did I get him tickets, but his hot date, who's actually his step sister, is the smoking hot bodyguard Tori Vega has been using on her international tour. Again, not a prostitute, but someone I've known since childhood, who is here because we're friends, and Enzo is practically her brother. Yea, I'm into family like that.""

Jade was caught in the headlights of an onrushing train, thinking of how she could kill her one time boyfriend and not spend the rest of her life in jail. She had to push past her embarrassment, rage, and other feelings to hear whatever it was Beck was saying. "You see, Zoe here wanted some family time, and the only time Jade has off is when Tori's at an event like this. So I got them tickets, and here they are. See, proof that I'm not feuding with that micromanaging harpy, Trina." He gave his patented smile, only to hesitate for a moment. "Sorry, Jade likes her boss. But, we should mingle." He gave another wave, and pulled them away from the press and back into the party.

"What the holy chiz was THAT all about!" Jade seethed, her glare digging hols in the wall behind Beck.

"It achieved a couple of goals." Beck replied. "First, you said no one was taking your picture, and this changed that. Now, we both know there have been plenty of photos taken of you, one's where we can see who you are, when you're working for Tori. Problem is, the press wasn't caring about them. This will change that. Second, I threw gas on the fire of my feud with Trina. Pretending to make nice, while insulting her, should get the press speculating. And you were with me. That brings us to the last point, which is going back the first. Your picture is gonna be circulating now. No under cover work for you, Missy." His smile broadened as he wagged a finger at her, and Jade wanted to bite it off.

"When Trina hears about this.." She threatened.

"Sorry, I cleared it with Trina while you and Enzo here were looking around." The actor gloated, smirking. "She approved, providing I did it her way. I kinda did." He shifted. "Look, you're changing careers, and we only have a few months to create some buzz. I'm just helping everyone. I made sure they knew you were spending family time, so the press will have to work to claim I'm sleeping with you. And, this adds buzz to the premiere story. Not sure how this translates into people buying tickets, but my publicist insisted it will. So, now you can enjoy the rest of the show, cause the press is gonna wanna take your picture."

After that interview, Jade did manage to relax and enjoy her fantasies about skinning Beck alive once the premiere was over. It was obvious, even as the vain actor came around to their side of things, he would never want peace with Trina. It was probable he didn't want peace with Tori. He just wanted a controlled war. 'And it wasn't like anyone planing something against Tori won't know what I look like.' Jade reasoned.

But, freed of any obligations beyond avoiding the sleazy photographers who now wanted her picture, Jade was able to let go and have a drink. One drink of Champlain to help her relax before the movie, and then a lot of celebrity watching. This premiere was A-List, with many of the biggest names in Hollywood attending.

Later, she enjoyed the film, but had to agree with the critics who would later point out that the writing wasn't up to the talent, and even Tori's adorableness wasn't able to make the character likeable. The music, as expected, was the high point of the movie, with Tori carrying it off with a polished professionalism that the original only achieved through auto-tune. However, without the computer enhanced reality, Tori could add a rawness to the sound that touched people in a way Ginger never did.

Afterwords, there was a party, one which Tori managed to get Jade invited too. It was only an appearance, however, since they'd be performing the very next day, and everyone felt they needed their rest for the show. But it was at that party where Tori cornered her bodyguard.

"Jade?" Tori said, blocking the blue eyed girls escape. Jade wouldn't get out without causing a scene.

"Yes?" She asked as nicely as she could. 'Does she know about Beck's little stunt? Did she approve? I doubt it, not since Trina likes to give her deniability in this kind of situation. Maybe she's just mad cause I was with Enzo all night?'

"I was wondering, what'd you think of my movie?" The megastar was fidgeting, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. Her attention was riveted to the raven haired girls face, waiting with a held breath for the answer.

"I liked it." Jade assured her. "Now breath." She teased. 'Oh my gods, was she nervous? Was Tori actually nervous I might not like her film? I mean, who doesn't remember Ginger chizzen Fox? And to hear her singing the songs, wearing the cloths, dancing on those stages, it was almost magical, even though I've seen her perform hundreds of times on tour. But her charisma, her allure, it pops on the big screen. She should be seen like that more often. And I think this was her first leading roll. Now that she has the time… OH HOLY FUCKING CHIZ, THAT TRINA'S PLAN!'

Tori relaxed, but didn't pull away, watching Jade's internal freakout. "Something wrong?" She asked.

"Trina's brilliant." Jade said, her eyes open in wonder. "She's set you up to transition to a mega movie star, so you can earn more money for less work. Or maybe she's just planning a series of pay per view shows in lieu of touring. Either way, this movie was her showing you can be a star, get you the biggest paychecks."

"So, is there a story here?" Robbie asked, cutting off any further exchange.

"Yea, singer likes to corner her bodyguards until they admit they liked her movies." Jade said, letting the sarcasm drip.

"Not yet?" The gossip asked. "Okay, I can wait. And Jade, congratulations on your audition with Phillip Monroe. Hope it works out for you."

"You know about that?" Jade asked.

"His last name is Monroe?" Tori asked.

"Look, unless your about to make out, in which case please do. I always carry a camera for just such an emergency." Robbie flashed his most devilish smile. "But unless thats the case, I think Tori here should rejoin the party."

Back at the house, as she was getting undressed, Jade thought about her evening. 'I was a guest.' That thought went through her head, over and over. 'I wasn't needed at the theater, so I could relax. It was, weird. I'm not against it, an evening of fun. Kinda off, how many people tried to take my chizzen picture, but otherwise, it was fun.' She sighed. 'Cinderella, the balls over, and it's time to get back to work.' She forced her mind away from the possibilities that she could wind up going to more parties and premiers and events like that, cause it was too weird an image to consider. Even after everything that had happened that day, Jade was focused, convinced, that being a bodyguard was her life.

The next day was just like any other day of the tour. Jade was with Tori through the morning, when they hit a couple of interviews, then off to visit family before heading over to the venue for that evenings performance. "So, how many for tonight?" Jade asked.

"Sixty thousand, due to zoning limits." Trina said, smiling. "But we've filled it up. Of course, the luxury seating is for the winners of the police auctions, but hay, we did a good thing, right?"

"I'm just glad she gets to sing in front of her home crowd." The blue eyed girl said. "Funny, I expected more people."

"It's a sellout." The manager scolded her. "Now, you go guard her body. And, our parents are here tonight. Be nice."

The raven haired girl smiled. "Yo, Ron, Bill, I found out there's a wrestling school not far from here. If your still interested, you can sigh up, see what they wanna teach you."

"You mean learn part time?" Bill asked. "Yea, we should look into that."

"Or you could focus more on learning your jobs, and stay with Tori." Andre added. "Sorry, Jade, but their paid more then most wrestlers will ever make. But us, we're growing. Between Tori's new career plan, and the fact that Trina's taking on new clients, we're gonna need more people. If they wanna learn something, let them learn how to be leads, so that they're the one's calling out orders when the shit hits the fan."

"Whats this about Trina taking on more clients?" Bill asked.

"Her plans for Tori won't involve her traveling so much, so she's expanding." The black man said. "Gonna use everything she learned in managing Tori's career to build her empire. One mega success is enough to give her a lot of cred in that field. I'm expecting great things for anyone who can prove they have talent she can sell."

Jade gave him a dirty look, pulling him to the side. "You know about Phillip?" She asked.

"That his last name is Monroe? Yea, Tori told me." The head of security said, smirking.

"You know what I mean." She shot back, but was smiling.

"Of course I knew about that. Trina and I have been talking, and we agreed to a few things." He said, still smirking. "We agreed that Tori would want you to have your shot, and that you may have the talent to pull it off."

"Just as long as Tori's safe, I'm in." The female bodyguard reminded him.

"Just a couple of months left, and we're done." Andre emphasized. "Maybe four months. You good for waiting that long?"

"They'll pass quickly." Jade replied.

"Now, you've met her mother?" Dre asked.

"Yea, interesting woman." Jade said. They'd had lunch with her parents, and Tori took her mother shopping while her father went back to work.

"Good, cause someone needs to show them around back stage, and your free until the end of the show. So, go." He ordered her.

"I so walked into that one, didn't I?" Jade groused, but she walked back to the stage managers station to check in with Trina. "Boss, I was told Tori's parents were here. Maybe I could show them around?"

"Naa, just stay with them in case they need anything, and we'll call you when it's time for Tori to get off stage." Trina said. Then to the Vega's. "Mom, Dad, if you'd follow Jade here." A subtle reminder that they were her parents too.

"Mister and Misses Vega, if you'd like to come this way, there's a lounge where you can watch the show on a big screen." Jade gestured for them to follow.

"Um, does it get other channels?" David, the Vega's dad, asked. Jade had been introduced earlier, but she was just the bodyguard, and so they'd politely ignored one another. "There's a kings game on tonight, and I was interested in seeing how they'd doing."

"Oh, well, lets see what we can do about that..." Jade replied as she led them into the lounge. "Lets see how it's hooked up." she said, more to herself, as she started looking at the monster television in the lounge.

"It's hoked up to the stadiums feed." Holly, the girls mother, said. "Let me have a look."

"You're good with electronics?" Jade asked. She'd stepped aside so the older woman could take a look.

"I used to be the personal assistant to a man who'd made his fortune in electronics." The elder Vega woman explained as she started looking things over. "I learned all kinds of things about electronics, mostly the stuff a tech would do like setting them up and testing them, cause he'd pay me more if I knew that shit." Her hand went up to point at her husband. "I know David, I swore. How many times will you if the kings are losing?" She'd never stopped looking at the controls. "Anyways, I got good at this stuff, and now I'm the one who sets the electronics up. I enjoyed knowing that stuff. Only problem is, it makes my husband feel like less of a man."

"Hay, I'm secure." He protested. "My only problem is you always tell them that before I can tell my joke."

Holly glared at her husband. "That deliberate. The jokes not funny." She spat.

"How do you know that?" David shot back. "It may be in bad taste, cause it's a bit bigoted, but it's still funny."

"Trust me, you don't want to hear it." Holly stressed.

Jade sighed. "Okay, but if it's really bad..."

"I was just gonna say she learned as part of her charity outreach, teaching young lesbians required skills." The police officer said. "What? Not even a curtsey chuckle?"

"And your married to him?" The bodyguard asked holly.

"In his defense, he's a giving lover." The older woman replied. The hockey game appeared on the screen. "Oh good, now we can pretend he's not here. So, Jade was it? How do you like working for my girls?"

Jade made what conversations she could. 'Why do I get stuck with parent duty?' She wondered. "You know, I'm just the help." She tried telling Holly.

"Tori's become attached." David remarked without looking away from the game. "So she introduced you. Jade, I'm thinking your not much of a hockey fan."

"I'm from New york. Our relation with sports teams is getting wazzed at each other for following one losing team or another." She explained.

"I'm not into sports either." Holly said.

"Thus losing that essential connection with her lesbian students." David added.

"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that no one thinks thats funny." Jade said. "Especially with Shapiro telling people Tori's gay."

"Yea, he was always such a weird, if nice, boy." Holly remarked. "I'm not happy about the rumors he's spreading about my Tori."

"Even if they might be true." David added. Then feeling his wife's glare, he added "Hay, I said might. Might. I'm okay if she is, or if she isn't. Either way, I'm good. Okay? We gonna drop it and just watch the game. Sheesh, I almost missed the bench clearing brawl cause of your judging me."

"Um, not to make too big a point of it, but your not gonna watch the show?" Jade asked.

"We get to see her sing all the time." Holly assured the raven haired girl. "David and I, we're here to support her before she flies out tonight. We wanna see our girls before they leave us again. After all, how else can I guilt them about grandchildren?" Jade made reasons not to talk about that last joke, feeling it was far too close to home with Trina's plans.

After the performance, Tori and Trina made their goodbys to their parents, promising to spend more time with them once the tour was done. Then the entire crew headed over to the airport, taking a late evening flight to their next show. They'd try to sleep on the plane while thinking about what was going to happen in this, the beginning of the last pert of the tour. There was a strange sense of both anticipation and sorrow as they saw the end of the tour slowly starting to crest the horizon. But mostly, they were looking forward to being home again.

Jade found the rhythm was back to normal, if normal included Tori running hot and cold on their relationship. The tour started in the safe for tourists part of Mexico, then played their way down the coast to the tip of Argentina. Each show was the same, one big production for the whole country, and Tori enjoying her fans behind the layers of security that made sure everyone was hands off. The local promoters seemed almost fanatic about keeping Tori safe.

Between shows, they saw a few sights, enjoyed the local foods, and a couple of times, a small core flew back and forth to the U.S. so Tori could continue to promote her movie. And through it all, Tori would go to Jade for something, but pull away, reminding them both of their awkward relationship, before Jade could really give the pop star what she wanted. In between they flew back to the U.S. for Tori to do interviews, or appear on shows, or attend some function or another to help push the movie.

It was their third trip back to the United states, and the one flight they'd be making to New York, when things got complicated again. "So, you're from here, right?" Tori asked.

"Yep." The bodyguard replied. She watched as Bill walked along beside them, making sure that no one accosted them in the air port. "But we won't have much time for sightseeing. We have thee interviews and a performance to make. God, two morning shows? Really? I get the late night stuff, but two morning shows?"

"I wanted to do the daily show, but Trina said we'd have to wait. It's not the A-list for promoting movies." Tori lamented. "Besides, my costar already went on it. We're covered, save for these shows I agreed to do. And hay, their a couple of big ones on the list, right?"

"Yea..." Jade's mind screamed that something was wrong. One of the passengers on their flight seemed to have been watching them just a bit too intensely. The bodyguard had discreetly pulled her phone, pretended to make a call, and took a picture of the guy over her shoulder. Then she sent it to Andre, hoping he would know someone who could run it, maybe find out why the guy was staring. She didn't get a response until after they'd landed.

"Car's here." Bill said, pointing at the driver holding a sign. It read "TORI VEGA"

"No." Jade said, stopping them cold. "Cat told the company to use my name, not Tori's" She saw the question on the singers lips. "Your name draws too much attention. Let me see whats going on. Bill, stay near Tori. Kasey, have the airlines have someone snag our bags. Make sure they get everything, and use video chat to confirm."

"That'll cost a bit more." The assistant remarked. "But I'm guessing, given whats going on, it's worth it. I'm on it."

"It'll also save us time in baggage claim." Jade said. "I swear, who's idea was it to fly commercial?"

"Tori's." Kasey said, but kept her voice down, so as not to further disturb the bodyguard.

The blue eyed girl walked up tot he chauffeur, phone to her head, making a call. "Cat, Jade here. I thought you were gonna meet us at the airport."

"My flight got delayed." The business manager complained. "I'll be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, look for the driver with my name. He's the one taking you to the hotel. I know I said I'd use your name, but then I kinda figured we'd ride together. However..." Jade was standing in front of the driver now, seeming to ignore him as she finished her call. She wasn't listening to Cat's explanation of how her flight had been delayed, focused instead on what was about to happen.

The driver looked past Jade to the pop star. "Miss Vega, if you'd come this way, we have a van waiting." He waited for her to look confused before adding "Your manager felt it would draw less attention."

Jade turned to look at Tori. "Bill, take Tori to the VIP waiting area, and I'll be there in a moment. And Bill, none of you leaves unless I or Cat is with you, got that?"

The big guy nodded, and walked the superstar towards the waiting area. It was usually reserved for people getting onto a flight, but sometimes someone on the priority list would need a place to wait for a cab.

The driver looked concerned. "Miss Vega, what am I supposed to tell my dispatcher?"

"Tell him that this is chizzin Manhattan, and a limo is about as common as a delivery van." The raven haired girl drawled before snagging his arm. A second later, the taser shocked her, dropping her to her knees. That was when the man tried to run. But while Jade may have been stunned, near helpless, she certainly wasn't alone. This was a major airport, and seconds later, police appeared from hidy-holes around them, taking both people into custody.

Jade was in custody for a good half hour before someone believed her about the threats she'd told them her client was facing. Like most major airports, this one had it's own police force, people who were trained to handle what the TSA couldn't. The blue eyed girl had been interrogated, her story checked out, and then the drivers story was checked out as well. Jade had no idea if she was facing charges for grabbing him, cause that is technically assault, but it would be worth it if it led to the apprehension of the guy trying to get Tori. The Police told her they'd release her, but not before asking why she'd risked everything to grab him. "I wasn't just gonna let this guy pass, then wait for him to try again. I needed him detained. We have him for impersonating a limo driver, and carrying a taser into an airport. Both are illegal, right?"

The detective in charge sighed. "No, neither are illegal. However, we did get him to confess to planning to take miss Vega to a place other then her hotel, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping is a crime. You, however, can't just go around grabbing people. We could charge you with assault."

"Fine, as long as my client is safe." The blue eyed girl assured them.

"You're guarding someone famous, right?" The airport security guard asked.

"Tori Vega, and I was brought in after the last attempt to kidnap her, so yea, I'm a little jumpy." The raven haired bodyguard informed the airport police officer.

"So you thought this guy was a potential kidnapper, and didn't want him getting away to try again, right?' The officer clarified.

"Cause he had the wrong sign, and a van." The blue eyed girl confirmed. "Look, I just need to use my one phone call to get my client safely to her hotel, maybe get another bodyguard for her, then you can lock me up."

"As I said, we'd sweated him out, got him to admit his part in the conspiracy." The officer said. "So we're not gonna be pressing charges. Just, be careful, cause he only had a delivery location, and nothing more. They're probably planning on trying again. Anyways, you can go now." They proceeded to release her.

Jade walked towards the VIP lounge, escorted by airport security, only to find Bill looking for her, escorted by a porter. Bill spoke first. "According to Cat, someone called, claimed to be a part of our group, and canceled our ride. The service didn't ask for a conformation number or nothing, just canceling our ride like it was no big deal. Anyways, Cat said she knew of someone else who was coming into New york about the same time, and they had their ride. She arranged it so we're riding with them to the hotel."

"Where's Tori?" Jade asked. "Tell me you didn't leave her alone." That was always her first concern. Panic started to rise in her mind as she looked around for either Tori or Kasey.

"No, she's with someone." He assured her. "In fact, it's someone she knows. I'd even say trusts, maybe."

"Then why do you look like your expecting me to rip your balls off?" The girl bodyguard asked, her glare as deadly as ever. While revealed that Tori was with someone, the singer sometimes had a strange definition of who she could trust.

"It's Robbie Shapiro." Bill admitted. "Hay, I don't know what Cat said to her, but Tori insisted we go with him when he showed up. I'm just supposed to take you to the car."

"Fine." Jade replied, as she planned to kill her friend. The porter took them to limo parking, where they were expecting to find their ride. Security seemed happy just to have Jade off their hands.

They arrived at the car in time to see a porter loading their luggage into the back. Some man she didn't recognize tipped the porter, then stuck his head into the car for a moment. As they got closer to the vehicle, that man was walking back into the airport. "Tori had better be in the car, and unharmed." Jade heard herself threaten Bill. The sound of one man gulping was her only reply.

She opened the door to peek inside, and was greeted by her pop princess's excited voice.

"Jade, you'll never guess whats happening in just a few months." Tori beamed.

"It can't be you losing your chizzing mind, cause that obviously already happened." Jade growled. She glared at the paparazzi blogger. Still, she knew this was her ride, so she slid into the back seat, next to Tori, making room for Bills large frame

"Cat and Robbie are getting married!" Tori seemed unbelievably happy, like she was ready to pop out of her skin happy.

"Wait, you?.. And Cat?..." The raven haired girls mind was turning to mush. "How? I mean, aren't you two…?"

"I" Tori held the vowel with too much pride, "Introduced them. They've been kinda dating since then. That'd make it what, five years now?"

"So she was your spy?" Jade accused, snapping back to the present.

"She was my spy, but not the leak." The gossip corrected. "Honestly, I only wanted to tag Beck, break the two of them up. I wanted Tori here to be honest with herself, maybe find real happiness. I mean, I was her friend, the only one besides Trina who could tell that she was faking being happy in a relationship. I knew he wasn't giving her the love she needed. I know, I told you I wasn't her friend, and for the purpose of my goals, I'm not. However, I'm in New York cause kitty Cat wants us to consider getting married here, so I'm looking at a few places. Was gonna do it with her, but she's not going to get here until she has to be with your guys."

"So the guy you sent back into the airport…?" Jade asked.

"Kinda your replacement." Tori said. "He's the guy she's using in New York when she's here. A bodyguard slash guide. He'll make sure she gets to the hotel okay."

"Let me guess," Tori turned on Rob, "She made the reservations, so you and her have adjoining rooms, right?"

He blushed in response, letting them both know she was right. "And your okay with this?" Jade asked, glaring at Tori. "I mean, even if we can believe him, and I don't know if we can, it opens up a whole load of worries. Like Cat knew all the details of your travel arrangements, what hotels you're staying in, that kind of chiz. If she told Rob, who knows who else she was blabbing too?"

"JADE!" Tori scolded. "Robbie may have tried to hurt my career, dragged my name in the mud, and insinuated I was gay at every turn, but he's still my friend. I believe him when he says she was HIS spy. Spy's can be very loyal. Lord knows the guy I had in his office was."

:}

So, we know a bit more about whats going on, and the kidnappers have once again reared their ugly heads. But we also had the grandeur of a movie premier, and the true purpose why so many celebrities show up to them, to be seen. We even had a glimpse of the Vega parents, with Holly ignoring her husbands of color jokes, and David more interested in the hockey game then his daughters concert. But they did get to spend some time together before everyone headed out.

So, thoughts, comments, ideas? Who was surprised that the bad guy waited this long to strike? What do you think their next plan is? And why send a van? Also, whats up with Beck?

Thanks for reading.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.

:}

"Wait, you had a spy in Shapiro's office?" Jade asked, staring at her employer as they sat in the back of the limo.

"Kinda." Tori blushed. "One of the interns was a fan of mine. Told me what was brewing at his show. But the boy graduated, and got a job somewhere else."

"He's still working for me." Rob announced. "Tran, right? Yea, I'm paying him to dig up stuff in the archives. Doesn't know he's working for me, just thinks he's doing boring research. But, for someone like him, it's as good a job as he was expecting. In time, I was going to use him to feed some stuff to you, let you know about the fake Arab. Beck turned out to be a better rout."

"You knew about her spy?" The dark haired bodyguard asked.

"Of course I did." Robbie replied. "Everyone tried to get spies into places where they need them, or might need them, or they want to know whats going on. You know, where they can get some use out of the spy. Beck, Tori, they all try to get their people in. I wouldn't be surprised if the Arab faker who's after Tori here tried as well. But I'm very good at my job, and know each and every spy in my employe. Use them too."

"Do you think he's trying again?" Tori asked. "The wanna be Arab, not Beck or Tran. I mean, our driver was misdirected, and a fake driver showed up with a van."

"I heard that security in South American was tight. Like the best of the tour. Makes sense that he'd try it here. Your almost invulnerable in LA, and your other appearances, they had heavy security from the moment you landed until you flew out again, so this is where you'd be at your most vulnerable." Robbie agreed. "Look, I don't have the personnel, I can't keep you safe. Contact the police, see what you can do. I'm guessing that somehow, these guys know all your movements for the next couple of days. I'd cancel, but we both know thats not gonna happen. So, be careful."

"At this rate, the kidnapper is gonna turn out to be your best friend from grade school." Jade's sarcasm only lasted a moment.

"I don't know, Emily was kinda bummed when I moved, but last I heard she was expecting her second child." Tori said, then gave an evil smile to her bodyguard.

Jade didn't let her client's ribbing get to her. She had a job to do. "Okay, make sure you drop us off inside, like it's supposed to be done, cause the last thing we need is for any of your colleagues to see her getting out of your car."

Robbie Shapiro scoffed. "Like I'm new at this." He said, smirking. "They have a secured entrance from the building next door. I'll drop you off at a secret entrance, someplace where you can be smuggle into the adjacent building, and you just take the underground entrance to the secured receptiom. They can check you in and everything."

Bill mumbled something about not being sure he could trust the gossip guru, but they all agreed it was the best course of action. "Of course, if the guy hunting you knows about this entrance, we're gonna be caught." Jade reminded her client.

"Don't worry about it." Rob said. "They only use it for dignitaries and people they want to make sure get into the building safely. Even celebs like you and me have to use the garage entrance. I only know about it cause I'm awesome like that."

"And modest." Bill added. "Lets not forget modest."

"I'm so modest, I'll bet everyone wishes they were half as pious as I am." Shapiro joked.

"And he quoted 'Amish Paradise.' He actually quoted Weird Al." Jade complained. Kasey just kept reading her pad, while Tori beamed.

"Paraphrased." Robbie said, only to shrink back from her glare. "But we won't argue that I was inspired."

Robbie dropped them off at what looked to be an ally entrance to something, only to have a couple of busboys escort them into a restaurant next door to the hotel. From there, they were shown to a not so hidden stairway near the refigerator that led to a hidden door in the incredibly clean storeroom. There was a tunnel that led under the ally that separated the building the restaurant was in from the hotel, and from there to a reception area behind a strong looking security door. It seemed that Robbie called ahead, clearing the way for them to sneak down to the tunnels from the back entrance of the restaurant. So as they emerged in the underground reception, located next to the very loud laundry used by the hotel, they were met by hotel personnel who took what baggage they carried in.

"Miss Vega, nice to have you with us again." The manager of the hotel said as he greeted, speaking loudly because the laundry machines hammering away in the next room. "Sorry about the noise, but this entrance is usually used in the evenings, when the days laundry is already done. But, as was explained to me, this is a special occasion. I can assure you, we'll do everything we can to make this as pleasant an experience as we can."

"Our luggage?" Jade asked. Each of them only had their carry-on's, and that wasn't much.

"Mister Shapiro gave it to us, and we're taking it to your rooms." The manager assured Jade. "And, as was requested, we've made sure you have one of our best suits, with three bedrooms you can use. Now if you will follow me, we'll get you checked in at the security office, then I'll personally take you up to your room."

"We have one room?" Jade asked.

"Two, but thats okay, cause Trina gets it when she's here. I stay with her, in my own room, and Malcolm shares with Kasey." Tori explained. "It's nice."

"Malcolm with Kasey?" Jade asked.

"Hello, he gay?" Bill said. "Have you forgotten already?"

"Honestly, we never interact. Trina usually just wants to speak to me alone, or has Andre there." The blue eyed girl said.

"Oh, he's there, he just tends to blend in." Bill scolded her. Kasey tried to blend in herself, not wanting to be dragged into the conversation.

"I suspect he's not there." Tori said. "Trina likes to talk security with Andre, and Jade here probably gets caught in the middle of that shit. I'd suspect Mal's out running errands for her while Jade's around."

"No, Bills right." Jade admitted. "I know he's there, in that someone of no concern is there. But I discount him, cause he's practically furniture."

They were quickly being checked in as they spoke. "Don't feel too bad." Bill assured her. "You had Tori duty. Kinda hard to get to know the guy who's always at Trina's side when your watching the star. Take Kasey for instance." He gestured. "What can you tell me about her?"

"She loves her Pearpad?" The goth guessed. The assistant gave her a critical look then went back to working on her Pearpad.

"So you don't know about her MBA, or that she's working for Tori hoping to impress Trina enough to get promoted to helping Cat, a girl with no business degree, run the office? Or how about the fact that she collects souvenirs mugs from the places we go to, often looking for ones with the date on them. Or, how about the fact that she's been dating one of the guys in the band for three years, but refuses to marry him cause she feel she's just dating him cause he's convenient." Bill blurted.

Tori was floored. "Is she dating Chuck?" She asked.

Kasey was starting to look panicked, not sure who of her companions she could, or should, kill. She wanted to speak, shut this down, but it was moving too fast. "Guys, I'm right here." She said.

"God no, Chuck is Malcolm's wingman slash fuck buddy." Bill said. "You really need to pay more attention to your band."

"Then who's Kasey dating?" The raven haired girl asked, not believing she was being drawn into gossip.

"Right here." Kasey tried again, but someone else had their attention.

"I believe that would be Mister Montandon." The hotel manager said. "Or has she moved on from that gentleman?" He looked past Tori to the assistant, as if he hadn't just let a major secret out.

"Bebop?" Tori asked. "She's dating bebop? But, he's like sixty."

"Bebop?" Jade asked.

"Still right here." Kasey tried again.

"Base player." Bill replied.

"Oh, him. Yea, sixty three." Jade said. "What, I read his personal file. Should have gotten it from the name."

"It's okay." Bill assured her. "I'm a gossip, love to know whats going on. You both had a lot of shit on your minds this last year. Now relax, cause we're here, and have a lot to do over the next couple of days. And boss, which room is mine?"

"If we're lucky, it's in another hotel." Kasey said as she glared back at her Pearpad.

"You know, I think they sell souvenir mugs here." Bill told the assistant.

"She should get one that says 'I nailed a guy twice my age, and all I got was this mug.'" Jade joked.

"Jade, please, she's right there." Tori scolded the raven haired girl. "Show some respect for your coworkers."

"Bebop has that elder statesman rock god vibe going." Kasey said as they rode in the elevator. "Plus, he's amazing in bed. Rocked my world every time."

"Then why won't you marry him?" Tori asked.

"Couple of very good reasons." The assistant replied. "One, he's sixty fuk, er, fudging three. Kinda old for me to tether myself to. I did think about having his kid, but we're on the road too much. Maybe when I get that office job."

"Makes sense." Jade said, watching the numbers fly by.

"Two, I don't think he's the marrying type." The assistant continued. "Okay, Bill, there's a room next door for who the hell knows what reason, small but comfortable. You're there."

"He can go to his room once we're settle in." Jade instructed everyone.

"But Bill said he's proposed to you." Tori pushed her assistant.

"He did, and part of it has to be the thrill of having a girl younger then half his age as a wife. But he's not Mick Jagger." The often quiet girl said. "Too bad he sleeps around like he is. That, by the way, is reason three I won't marry him."

They walked into the room. "Okay, this room has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a kitchenette. Bill, your room has an adjoining door, in case they needed a fourth bedroom. You have your own bathroom, but no window. Sucks to be you." The assistant informed them.

Unlike Bills room, which was a small servants type room that was nestled in next to the main room, the suit Tori had was set up more like an apartment, or a condo. The three bedrooms were set up with a master suit, and two regular bedrooms that shared the main rooms bathroom. Tori, naturally, got the master bedroom, while Kasey and Jade each got their own room.

"When we fist started out, we all had to double up." Bill said out of the blue. "I remember when Ron and I would share a room with a couple of the production guys. We'd shared with the band for a while, but they partied too much, and we had work to do. Of course, Ryder shared with Andre, but as Tori moved up the fame scale, she started getting better and better accommodations."

"Most of the roadies and dancers still share rooms." Kasey said. "Only people we feel have earned the privilege get their own rooms. Long term band members, and anyone who flies with Trina."

"Lucky you, Jade, starting out with your own room." Tori teased.

"Of course, if Shapiro was right, then I could use the third bedroom while Jade did a much closer guarding of Tori's body." Bill smiled. Only his familiarity with everyone, and the fact that he prefaced it as a theory, kept him from regretting that joke.

"Um, Tori, didn't you say you had a place in the city?" Jade asked.

"It's being fumigated." Kasey said, not bothering to let Tori answer that question. Instead, they got themselves ready for an evening that would include at least one nation wide televised interview, and if they were lucky, not much else.

The interviews were almost mind numbingly boring. Jade watched as Tori managed to smile through the same questions, yet again, without blinking an eye. "Yes, Ginger Fox was such a force in music, and I felt someone had to tell her story, so that the world would know what a complex person she really was." Jade mouthed along as Tori explained to the host about her movie roll. It seemed that, no matter how much they tried to make their interviews different, it was always the same basic questions, with the same basic answers. Jade was glad they only had a short time left in the city before heading home.

'Maybe she's figured out that no, I'm not gonna show her the old neighborhood. Beck and me, we grew up in one of the less fun places in the city, over in Jersey, and you don't wanna go slumming just to see where he, or I, came from.' The goth was so occupied with her boredom, and watching the live audience for any sign that someone was gonna rush the stage, she missed the intern speaking to Tori during one of the breaks. If she'd noticed, she wouldn't have thought much of it, until she saw the look on Tori's face. Then, suspicion would have demanded she find out what Tori'd said to the intern, or more importantly, what the intern said to the pop star.

But missing that minor detail seemed like an acceptable oversight, and it should have been. Tori went with Jade back to her room to rest before the next event they'd be going too, and the bodyguard rested secure in the knowledge that they were safe in the hotel. 'Ambassadors stay here, so the security's top notch. We're safe…'

That evening, after getting out from the early dinner and awards show Tori was presenting at, the small group headed out to a discreet bar someone had recommended to Tori. "It's okay, the person who gave it to me swore they were really laid back. No one will care that I'm in show-business." Tori assured her entourage.

"I don't know." Jade said, her eyes shifting around. "This isn't the best neighborhood."

"But it's a still a safe neighborhood, right?' Tori asked. "Look at the people, all dressed nicely for the evening. They're not worried about being attacked, so we're safe, right?"

"Maybe." Jade said, looking at the bouncer as they were let into the bar. It was a smallish place, more neighborhood watering hole than club, but it had a certain charm to it that was open and welcoming. They were able to find a table, with Bill placing the order for the first round. 'Good idea, Bill, lets keep her drinks virgin.' Jade thought, smiling. "I just can't believe that someone at that awards show gave you the address of this place? I mean, most of those guys flew in. They're not locals like maybe the people at the Tony awards would be."

"But it's a safe place, right?" Tori pushed.

"Maybe, I can't be sure about that until I've had a chance to look at whats next door, and I know we're really close to the boarder to the next neighborhood, meaning we wait late enough, it's not safe at all." The blue eyed girl commented. That was the problem with some of the neighborhoods in New York, they could be perfectly safe,. and a block away, you were in a war zone. 'Even gentrification hasn't really changed that. Not yet. Can't get the poor out of Manhattan.'

"Yea, you would know, since you grew up near by. How far are we from your old stomping grounds?" Tori asked.

"Tori, thats all wrong." Jade shot back. "I lived there, once, when I first got out of my parents place, cause the rent was cheap and I wasn't too worried about dying. But even now, my place is on the other side of this bar, deeper into the safer parts of the city. Sides, I grew up over the river, across the bridge. Tori, I'm a Jersey girl, born and bread. I'm not a New Yorker." Jade was instantly on alert, looking around the club, not drinking in case she needed her wits about her. Tori hadn't had her drink yet either, while Kasey was sipping her drink, intent on nursing it for hours or longer. Only Bill had bothered to really get into his drink. "Um, Tori, what made you think I grew up here?"

"Oh, I just thought..." Tori hesitated. "Someone at the awards show told me they knew you, and that this was a place you used to hang out at." The singer admitted.

"Tori, did it ever occur to you that they were lying to you?" The bodyguard asked. Her eyes were now looking over everyone, trying to remember if any of the patrons had been at the awards show. It wasn't easy. Jade was a bodyguard, and not part of the regulars there. But back stage, she'd seen most of the people who'd interacted with her employer. "Who gave you the info about this place. And Tori, look at the people here, We have a few regulars, but most of the locals are drinking like they don't know each other that well. This is a new place."

"Really, New?" Tori asked. "They swore you used to hang out here all the time. You, and Beck, and the others, just coming here cause it was such a laid back place, where no one bothered you and you could people watch. They said you saw your first celebrity here."

"Who?" Jade asked back, keeping her voice neutral. "Who told you that, and what exactingly did they say?"

"Um, the intern, at the talk show." Tori admitted. "I didn't get his name. He just told me you used to hang out with him, and that this was a place you'd frequent. I wanted to see a part of your life, but you kept telling me that this city is dangerous."

"Crap." The raven haired girl hissed. "Tori, this might be a trap. It'd be much easier to get someone on staff, or better yet bribe someone on staff at the television station, then it would to get someone into that awards show. Too many celebrities in one place, the security was solid. No, they wanted to draw us in, and now we're out in the open, not sure what to look for. We need to get going." She looked to the others. "Bill..."

He was slumping, a dreamy look on his face. Jade snapped her fingers right next to his ear, and he hardly moved. "Drugged." She said, looking at Tori. "Kasey?" She asked.

The assistant was moving slowly, but still up. "I'm here, but the worlds kinda woozy." She replied.

"Okay, Tori, don't drink your drink. It's probably drugged. Now Kasey, give me your phone." The bodyguard instructed. One look confirmed. "They have cell blockers, and they've turned them on. We need to get out of here. Kasey, I need you to pretend to be out, and when you get a chance, hit 911 on the bar phone. Tori..."

"People are leaving." Th starlet noted. As they looked around, it was clear that several people had walked out, with others picking up their coats and following them out, guided by one of the employees. Those who remained looked to be informally ex military, with solid builds under their casual clothing.

"We need to get out of here, now." Jade said, standing up.

"You know, it'd been easier on everyone if you'd just had your drinks" One of the guys said, holding the thicker half of a pool cue. "It's not too late. You can just sit down, enjoy your drink, and no one needs to get hurt."

"Tori, ignore the back door. There's a crowd out front, so when I make a hole, run. We'll be fine. You just go, okay?" Jade squared her shoulders for the fight that was about to happen. Of the six or so men, two had weapons, bludgeons, ready to beat her down if she tried anything. They were her first targets, but not the high priority ones. They weren't likely to be the best fighters, since holding weapons made then targets. 'Take one side, Tori runs around as I distract the group, then I get to the phone, get the police, and hold hem off until I can get back to her. Our driver was just outside...'

She moved fast, striking the man in the center, and dropping her body to roll under them. The others reacted fairly quickly, trying to prevent Tori from running while containing the goth. That was their big mistake. With her center of gravity lowered, she shifted to an arm drag approach, pulling one man down into another, and then kicking a third into the forth.

The last man, the one who'd yet to be knocked down, shifted to grab Jade, trying to keep her from interfering with the others. He went down when Tori hit him over the head with a glass beer mug. There was a crack, and the mug broke, but the man was down and bleeding.

"And why aren't you running?" Jade asked, looking for a second at her charge. Tori had gone back to grab the mug, and then used it on the thug, in direct violation of her instructions. "Get someplace public, NOW!"

Five of the guys were now getting on their feet, ready to throw down. Jade drew out a stinger, a retractile baton, and papered to defend Tori. The thugs circled warily, watching her for any signs of an opening, debating on how they'd spring on her. Two of them rushed her while two others tied to get around her. Jade slipped past the two attacking her, taking down the ones trying to get Tori with a swift sweeping blow from her baton. She then shifted her stance to block more of the attacks barging in from the men standing.

Jade knew she needed to change tactics. They weren't gonna make a lot of mistakes. "Tori, go to the bar, and get behind it." Jade instructed. 'If I don't have to worry about her, I can take these jerks on without worrying about getting too banged up…' Her eyes opened as she saw the bartender holding a double barreled shotgun. 'Crap.'

Jade knew that that gun was too random if it went off. Sawed off for close in use, it was the biggest threat to her employer in the room. It was also the one weapon she didn't have a lot of fear of, given her body armor. Shotguns tended not to pierce body armor very well, unless he was using flechette rounds, and that was unheard of in a bar. She rushed the bartender.

He panicked, and as she reached for the gun, he pulled the trigger, firing both barrels into her. To Jade, it was a painful shot to the body, but she'd directed the gun to aim at her torso, letting the armor absorb what it could. The Kevlar wasn't penetrated, but the shot still hurt like a mule had kicked her in the ribs.

Jade went down. Tori, seeing her girl down, screamed "NOOO, JADE!" Rushing to the downed body.

The remaining guys closed in, including the bartender, and as one man pulled the starlet from Jade's body, the others were looking to see what was left of the busty brunette. Tori, held in the bartenders strong grip, babbled out what could have been "Please don't die. I love you."

Jade reminded herself to ask about that later as she kipped up and used the empty shotgun as a club, striking over the singers head to hit the bartender, then using the other end to strike another man. Jade had them where she wanted them, each in a vulnerable position, and took advantage, striking hard and dropping them one by one. Knowing she wouldn't get a second chance, each blow was aimed to disable, throats and similar targets. 'No time for worrying about how badly I hurt them, their going down.' Once the group was cleared, Jade grabbed her employer, and pulled the stunned starlet out of the bar. One hand held the shotgun, while the other held Tori, but Jade really wanted to hold her ribs. She was hurting, from the fight and the shotgun to the chest.

It wasn't that their driver was missing, the whole car was gone. In it's place was a van with dirty plates, and four men could be seen hiding inside it. Jade held the shotgun at the van, keeping them from popping out as she guided her charge to an ally. "We run, and don't stop until I tell you it's okay. Got that?"

"What about Bill?" Tori whined. "Or Kasey? How do we help them?"

"Bills too heavy for me to carry, so we hope that Kasey did what I asked her too, and dialed 911. But if you wanna help her, pull your phone, dial, and drop it in the dumpster." Jade instructed, watching to see if the men had rounded the corner. They were watching, waiting for them to make the next move. Tori did as she was told, and then Jade led the starlet into a building hoping she could find her way out again.

"Funny thing about new york, if you know the right streets, you head down one ally, and your in a totally different neighborhood." The raven haired girl explained.

"How different?" Tori asked.

"Those men had pocket uzies." The blue eyed girl said. "Around here, thats just wasting ammo. We're now surrounded by victims and gangs. Stay close, cause I need to find us some ground to go to. Once we're safe, we use my cell phone to call for help." They found a way out of that building to the next ally, an in it a whole new world.

The neighborhood they were moving into was far worse then anything Tori had seen in all her many visits to the island of Manhattan. Jade assured her that even this place, which was once where people who had no where else to fall wound up, was slowly changing from gentrification. "People with money need a place to live, and the poor had better get out of their way." The raven haired girl explained. "But first, you gotta do something about the gangs, the violence, the drugs, everything. We're in a bad place, and we have no friends. Even the cops might be on the take. So we keep moving, and try to find a place where we can make a call, get our asses out of the line of fire."

"So the police are corrupt?" Tori asked.

"If they even are cops." Jade informed her. "Most cops are straight forward, but it only takes one, and lets face it, this guy could have some of his people in uniforms, acting like cops, just to avoid casual suspicion."

A man stepped out of the shadows with a gun in his hand, and Jade stepped in his way, once again pulling his hand down so his gun was aimed into her body, letting her armor catch the bullet. But he shot her multiple times, scared that anyone wouldn't give his gun respect, while trying to step back so he could hit her anywhere else. Once he'd shot his load, She tossed him like a sack over her body and into dumpster. "That didn't do my ribs too much good, but this guy, he was too green. Kinda old, but still in recruiting age. That was an initiation. We have trouble, cause his buddies are gonna be here real quick."

"Jade, your limping. Did he get you in the leg? How badly are you hurt?" Tori asked.

"We need to get you someplace public, and call the police." Jade said through grit teeth. "The kid was carrying a forty five, and that gun hits hard. Right where I'd taken the shotgun, multiple shots. The weave held, but armor only absorbs so much. My ribs are hurting, and I'm not sure I can stop the next threat that comes your way." They were still moving, just slower.

Jade managed to make it another block and a half before she had to step in the way of another threat, this time a group of young me. 'What the fuck are these guys doing here?' She thought, trying to stay on her feet. But the pain was getting to her, and she only had the strength to yell "RUN!" before she blacked out from the pain. Jade vaguely remembered one of the young men rushing her, and her moving to intercept, taking a shoulder tackle in her injured ribs.

Tori watched the over half a dozen boys, looking more like men at that moment, watching the two girls. She knew she had to run, but doubted she'd be able to leave another friend behind. "Please, don't hurt us. I can give you.." She hesitated, wondering if a bribe would get them out of trouble. 'I don't have that much on me. Even the jewelry I was wearing was on loan, and is back with it's owner now…'

"Make sure Jade's okay, and lets get them off the street." One of the boys said, looking over the fallen bodyguard. She was out, but still tried to move, like she was still fighting. "Shit, Carl, how hard did you hit her?"

"Not that hard." The boy who'd dropped her said. "I figure she mist have been hurt, cause she'd never have been caught by that move otherwise."

"You… You know her?" Tori asked.

"Yea, and we need to get the fuck off the streets." The guy who was running things said. "I'm Hangman G, or as she used to call me, little Georgie. I'll explain everything once we're off the chizzing streets."

:}

A lot happened in this chapter, feel free to go back and read it again. We have the hotel, their talk in the hotel, a bit of insight about Kasey, as well as more about Malcolm. Then we have the events, and a short trip to a bar afterwords. Tori trying to find out more about Jade. After threat, there's a bit of action, but Jade fighting, and Tori admitting something. Finally, this chapter see's our girls running.

Any thoughts about Bill and Kasey? I suspect they'll be fine, cause these kidnappers don't need to be hauling around extra weight while running from the police. And why would George change his name to Hangman G? What will he want in return for his help? And any thoughts about the things that went down in New York?

Thanks for reading. Please review.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.

:}

Tori followed the gang members to a tall building, then watched as one man boosted another up to grab the ladder at the bottom of the fire escape. His weight pulled it down, providing them with a way up the side of the building. The one member held on while the others started to climb up the ladder. The first ones up to the ladder stopped at the first window, going in to get something, only to return with what looked like a fire hose. They lowered the hose, holding on to one end, while others wrapped it around Jade in a harness like fashion. Then, as soon as she was snugly tied in, they pulled her up to the first landing, unbound her, one guy taking the hose while two others did a buddy carry to take Jade up the stairs carefully.

As that was going on, Tori was herded up the ladder, then the stairs. She was one of the first to find herself in a small apartment six stories up. "Okay, that first window, no one lives there, and it's been used as storage, hence the old hose. As for what we were doing here, we'd heard a rumor that you might be on the streets in this neighborhood, or the next one over, and there's money on your head. We hand you over to the right people, we get paid, no questions asked. But then we saw Jade, and I knew I couldn't do that to her. Sides, what I want, it's easier to get if you don't wind up kidnapped." George was explaining as he moved to open the rood to the small bedroom.

"Okay, you said you knew Jade, I kinda need to know how, so I know I can trust you." Tori said. Her voice was shaky as she was feeling very vulnerable, as well as guilty over leading her friends into this mess. She was worried about her people, both the ones she'd been forced to leave behind, and the injured one being carried up the stairs. 'I need to know what happened to Kasey. And Bill. God, please let them be alive.' She wanted to cry, and had trouble not breaking down. But the moment called for her to be strong. Jade needed her to be strong.

"Sure, but hand me your phone." Hangman G said. Tori handed him Jade's, since hers was in a dumpster in the ally near the bar, and he promptly pulled the battery out of it. "Sorry, but people can track you by this, and I don't want anyone knowing where we are. Not yet. Kay? Now then, lets start with the basics. This place, it used to be Jade's, when she first moved across the bridge. Before that, it was some other losers, and now it's mine. Or rather, it's a friends, and we use it as a crash pad." He looked over at his boys, who were gingerly bringing said bodyguard in through the window. "Put Jade on the bed, and make sure she's okay. If you see blood, let me know. Then call Siobhan, cause we need a nurse. Can't take them to a hospital until we know how bad things are. No, we get them safe, and then get them to the airport for their flight out."

"You still haven't told me how you know Jade, other then saying she used to live here." Tori gripped. "And did you have to kill my phone?" Worry was turning into anger, and she felt better focusing it on this man then on herself. But, she stayed civil, for the time being.

"We really don't know how, or if, they're tracking you." The gang member emphasized, holding up the phone. "Okay, here's how it is. I'm Jade's cousin, George, and I'm kinda with a gang. We're a Jersey gang, of course, but this part of the city, someone's always doing something, and the local gangs won't try to hold their turf too hard. No, we're here too, cause we can hide out here when we need to, safely away from the Jersey Cops. Just no colors while here." He paused, letting his words sink in, then continued. "Anyways, as I said, we were tipped off that someone was looking for you, offering cash, and that you might be on the streets tonight. We were looking, but it felt like we were the only ones, cause kidnapping a celebrity, that's federal, and most people don't need that heat. Maybe a couple of others were out, but not that many, if you don't count those who'll do anything for drugs. Also, we don't know the people making the offer, just heard stuff, so there's no trust whatsoever. Probably another reason hardy no one was out there."

He sat down on the end of a couch, looking at the pop princess hard. "Anyways, let me tell you what we want. That way, you know you can trust us, cause you'll have our pay in your hands." He flashed her a smirking grin, trying to make it look like a comforting smile, but the boy had no practice in being comforting, just intimidating. "So what we want are tickets, nice as possible, to your next show in the city. A dozen or more. Maybe twenty. Yea, we can sell good seats, make a mint, and still see the show if we want too." His eyes seemed to glow with the brilliance of his idea. "Call it a rescue fee."

"Okay, George, lets say I believe you. I still need to know my people are safe." Tori said. Inside she was already breaking down, hurting. Her rage at herself wasn't redirecting to the boy who was being so honest with her, instead telling her, over and over, that this was all her fault. She desperately wanted to cry, but every movie she'd seen said never let the people your negotiating with see you weak. So she silently prayed 'Bill, Kasey, please be all right…'

"I've got someone on that." George replied. "I figure the guys who did this, their not so stupid as to kill anyone unless they had to, cause that brings the wrong kind of heat. Attempted kidnappings bad enough. But Murder? Thats Homicide, at least, if not Major Crimes, if mixed in with a kidnapping attempt. Hell, we may be looking at the FBI, and then there's no where to run. So most likely, assuming your people were still alive, the people who tried to grab you would have abandoned that sight to go looking for you. Your friends, not even worth the time to put a bullet into them. But, I'll need to know where this went down so I can get someone to confirm."

Tori nodded, then started breaking down, cryings and wailing and just letting go of the fear and guilt that she'd been feeling over leading them into a trap. The thugs, not knowing what else to do, settled in for a while, as one of them slowly got what he could out of Tori. She almost forgot to give the young man the card for the bar she'd been in.

Jade woke up to find Tori wrapped around her, gently holding her close. "Tori?" She asked, before her memories of what was going down caused her to bolt up to a sitting position. 'Big mistake. That hurt.' She winced.

"You'll be pleased to know, far as I can tell, no internal bleeding. Probably thanks to that plate you'd snuck in to cover your bruises." A familiar voice said. The blue eyed girl looked over to see her cousin, Siobhan. "Of course, I had to tell your friend there not to squeeze too tight, since I suspect you have some cracked ribs, possibly broken. Lucky thing you put something metal there to act as a trauma plate, since less focused equals less damage. Oh yea, you a cracked bone in your arm." She smiled a distant smile. "So, I've seen you in the news, Robbarazzi has even covered you a bit. Seeing the world, are you?"

"Fuck you." Jade said, trying to wiggle her way out of her employers grip. "What time is it, we need to get..."

"Your flights been delayed." The other woman said. Siobhan was older then Jade, shorted with a less busty figure. She also wore her hair in it's natural brown shade. "I spoke to this ones sister just a bit ago. Got the number of her phone, and used a burner. She said you could fly out tonight, assuming your strong enough. So how do we get you to the airport? I'm thinking Uber."

"Give me the burner phone." Jade said. "An I'll need a number off my phone." The older woman held up the phone Tori had. "Yea, thats my phone." Seconds later, she was calling the one cop she hoped she could trust. "Hello, Lieutenant Sanchez please. Let him know it's his favorite person on earth, Jade West. He'll remember me."

"You sure thats a good idea?" Siobhan asked. "I'm guessing, with the amount people are spending to find you, or rather, her, they have ears in the police."

"Yea, but we have to trust someone." Jade assured her cousin. "So, last I heard, George was using this place. Hows he doing?"

"Him and his found you, and one of them tackled you, so naturally they got out while the getting is good. Don't know why the fuck he's so scared of you? I taped those ribs, and I figure your not kicking any asses for at least a couple of weeks." The older girl said. "However, I do have news for that one, when she wakes up. That, and fresh cloths. Let me know when that is, so you both can eat, and get the hell out of my life again."

"Geeze, Shevy, let it go." Jade griped. "I missed your chizzing wedding. I totality get that. But that was ten chizzing years ago, and if I'd known what was gonna happen, I'd have been there, dressed in that lame ass dress you chose that made me look like a lampshade, only less shapely."

"Becks an ass." Siobhan said. "And the dress wasn't that...Who am I fooling, I had to blunt those curves somehow." She settled down, ready to talk. "Anyways, we got some time, lets catch up. You know this girl loves you, right?"

"I got the memo." The bodyguard said, smirking. "What about the others? Bill and..."

"Their fine." The older girl said. "Tori spoke to her sister, and apparently the kidnappers didn't want to stick around once you had the police rushing to their location. They took anything that could link them to the attempt, and ran. In the movies, they'd have torched the place, and had extra cops looking for them cause of the arson. But they ran, and knew it was the right decision. Given their backup plan, they had good reason to believe you'd be caught. Half the crackheads in the neighborhood were looking for you. Not that it helped much. And your your friends, their fine. They'll be meeting you at the airport. Course, they had the sense to hit the hospital first."

"Shevy…!" Jade Warned, shutting her cousin up. "Now, I just hope Tori's up soon, cause our police escort will be here any time now."

"Going out in a familiar way?" Her cousin asked, smirking at the glare she was getting., Even looking like a drowned kitten, jade still had some kind of edge that made her glare dangerous.

"Keeping it minimal." The raven haired bodyguard assured her cousin, her ire raised. Still, she was grateful for the help. "Just, police escort, to get us to the even safer airport." She took a deep breath, wincing at the pain. "And thanks, to you, George, and the guys. We were in real trouble." She let that sit for a second. "Soo, tell me, you wouldn't know who tackled me, would you? "

"I believe it was Carl, seeing as he looked like he was terrified you'd wake up and whoop that three hundred pound ass of his." Siobhan said.

"Tell him I owe him one." Jade said, her smile almost covering the pain in her ribs. "And I'll get my payback next time I'm on the city. So where are the chizzing police already?"

Tori woke up, just a short time later, and Jade was anxious to fill her in on the plan. "Um, Jade, I may have said something, back when I was worried that you'd been shot..."

"So it wasn't you screaming that you love me?" The bodyguard asked.

"It might have something to do with that." Tori admitted. "Look, I think I've known, for a while now, that I found you attractive. I just..."

"It doesn't go with your girl next door image." Jade filled in.

"I didn't want to confuse it for other feelings I might have been having." Tori contradicted her. "Jade, I don't know if you realize this, but your kinda at the corner of a lot of the shit thats been happening in my life. Falling for you, that was a major complication, what with the guilt, the shame, dealing with Beck's shit, my shit, yours. I swear, if we'd met at a bar, instead of you being my bodyguard, I'd have bedded you a long time ago. We just have that kind of connection. So yea, I fell for you, would not and could not admit it, even to myself, up until the moment I was afraid I was losing you." She took a deep breath. "And we need to talk about this."

"Sounds like you've been doing a lot of talking just fine." Jade joked.

"JAAADDDEEE" Tori whined.

"Fine, your not the only one who's been having inappropriate feelings." The blue eyed girl admitted, her eyes looking all around the bedroom. "The reason I put up with so much of your harassment, and it was, was I was terrified that I was over reacting, hyper aware of every flirting move. And yes, if we'd met under the right circumstances, and it would have taken some major chizzing time, then yes, we'd have snoodled by now."

"That depends, what does snoodled mean?" Tori asked.

"Technically I thin it's a mix of snuggling and canoodling." Jade asked. "But it means cuddled, making out, maybe more, why?"

"Cause from where I come from, it means choking on a dick." Tori almost laughed. "Okay, thats one definition, and not the only one. But hay, it's funny how something like that can have such different meanings depending on who's come up with your version. The gay pride people in Miami are pretty out there."

Jade sighed. "And me without the swear jar." She looked at the starlet. "Tell you what, lets get you changed, assuming Siobhan here has anything that'll fit you, and get you to our flight. I'll talk this feelings chiz out later." Jade gestured towards the door, cause her cousin had gone to the other room to relax on the couch.

"Promise?" Tori asked.

"Promise." The bodyguard replied.

A short time later, an unmarked police car pulled up to the building. The locals eyed it suspiciously, knowing that something about the car didn't fit. Then they did what they always do in situations like this, they kept their distance and watched, trying to see what these well dressed man might be after. Seconds ticked by as the two men walked into the building and knocked on a specific door.

Jade checked to see a badge first, was not letting anyone into the apartment they were using. It wasn't the door to the safe house, "Hangman G" had requested they not use his crash pad, so they'd moved to a first floor apartment where the neighbor was willing to let them hang out while he was at work, on the condition that they not disturb anything. That, and fifty bucks.

"You got our stuff?" Jade asked.

"Your man, William..." The officer started.

"Bill." Jade corrected.

"Bill, well, we left it to him to gather your belongings." The officer informed her. "The doctor said he shouldn't do too much, take it easy for a couple of days, cause the drugs are still working their way out of him. But he'll be fine in no time. Him and the assistant, their handling getting your stuff to the airport. You just bring the package, and we'll get going."

Jade had managed to borrow some cloths from Siobhan, including a hoodie and dark glasses, so Tori wouldn't be as recognizable as they made their way out to the car. Leading the roughly disguised figure out, Jade's eyes were open for any signs that something was wrong. They walked around and sat down in the back seat, watching the locals watching them. "Think they're gonna tell anyone?" Jade asked.

"Not likely." The driver replied. "From what I've heard, they've called off the bounty on miss Vega there. Word on the streets is, they missed their chance, and had to pull out."

"So thats it, their just giving up?" Jade wondered, watching as they drove along. Her taped ribs ached, throbbing in pain, but she could function.

"I wouldn't worry too much." The driver said, smiling back at them. His partner was checking the radio for news. "Relax, we have a bit of a drive ahead of us."

They drove through the city towards a small, private airfield. "Chief felt it would be better having you fly out of here." The driver said. "Miss Vega's manager made arrangements, so you have nothing to worry about. We'll be at the jet in a moment." The car turned onto the runway and drove over to where a private plane was waiting. It reminded Jade of when she first joined the tour.

"Where's Bill?" Jade asked.

"Oh, they had him take your regularly scheduled flight." The driver explained. "That way, if anyone was watching, they'd be at JFK waiting for you, and not here."

"I don't like being left out of the loop." Jade growled. "I need to speak to lieutenant Sanchez, find out what the holy chiz is going on."

"Whats going on is your getting on that plane." The driver said, pulling out his pistol. "Miss Vega is flying out, and I don't wanna deal with a body, so your coming too. That is, unless you'd rather be dead?"

Jade could see that both officers were ready to take her out, so she allowed herself to be removed from the vehicle. Her body tensed as she tried to figure out how she'd take the men down. The one who'd driven walked over to her with his cuffs out, while the other man seemed to hesitate. 'One cop, on the take, probably planning on going with us, and just disappearing, or maybe claiming we were ambushed. But the other, that guys either having major second thoughts, or he's not a cop. He's let his guard down…'

The officer had anticipated Jade's move, so when the bodyguard tried to slip under him as he was attempting to place the cuffs on her, he shifted and used his taser, which he'd had hidden in his other hand, to subdue her. Jade managed to avoid the first try, swinging her legs up to strike him in the chest. She then made sure he couldn't get to his gun, kicking it away while he scrambled for his backup piece. Jade glanced over at the other officer, the fake cop, and smirked when he didn't bother going for his gun, instead going towards the back of the car. With one more swift palm strike to put the corrupt cop down, she raced around to cut the other officer off. But the effort was telling. Beyond the pain, she was breaking hard, cause damaged ribs restrict your berating. She closed on the second man.

The fake cop pulled out his gin, not realizing the time for that had passed. Jade quickly yanked his arm up, the one holding the gun, aiming it at the sky, then shifted her weight while sweeping his legs. His gun was lost to his need to avoid having his arm break. Jade let go in favor of kicking that gun under the car, and turned to see if she needed to deal with any other problems before she finished these men off.

Thats when she saw them. The mercs from last night were at the airport, moving towards her, flowing out of the near by hanger. Their guns weren't drawn, a sign that they didn't want to hurt Tori, but they still had numbers. The one time goth checked to see who among the ten men was injured, knowing those would be weak points she could exploit, when the corrupt officer managed to get her with his partners taser.

Her body seized, and she felt it shutting down, going into a subdued state, but she still managed to force herself to try and strike the man behind her with her foot as she bent her leg upwards at the knee. Unfortunately, he shifted his own legs, and took the heel strike on his leg, saving his manhood by only a fraction of an inch. Then she went down, but the bodyguard was still aware, using all all her concentration to force herself to stay conscious, through the haze of the pain, even as the pissed off police man tased her again. He would probably have done it yet again, despite the fact doing so ran the risk of killing her, something he claimed he didn't want to do. Still, he was really angry, yelling at his fake partner to get the singer out of the car so they could get out of here. His hand raised again, ready to administer another jolt of electricity to the helpless bodyguard.

Jade wasn't out, focused on what could well be the last pain she'd ever feel, in her chest, where the taser had already struck, her entire nervous system threatening to shut down, holding all that pain off required her to totally focus on the world outside of herself. So naturally she became aware of the chaos that was now filling the small airport. The other, counterfeit officer had grabbed Tori, only to find that they didn't have the pop princess, but an undercover police woman who'd come along in case this was a trap. Tori had been transported to JFK by Siobhan, in a borrowed car, while they waited for the police to arrive.

The undercover officer took down the fake cop, drawing her gun and getting ready to exchange fire with the mercenaries, or maybe corrupt officer, who was quickly trying to recover his weapon. She didn't need too. Four tactical teams, a total of sixteen men armed with automatic weapons and full body armor, rushed the small airfield, seizing the jet and everyone on board, as well as the mercenaries, the corrupt officer, and his pretend partner. It looked like a clean sweep, and the police were justifiable proud, until until later when they'd find out that the middle man who'd arranged the whole thing had gone ahead, leaving at the last minute to check on something, and wasn't coming back.

Jade found herself carried off the airfield by two men in tactical armor, tossed into an ambulance, and taken to JFK while she was checked out by the paramedic. "You know, we could have done this without risking a civilian." Lieutenant Sanchez said. He was seated near her, in the ambulence.

"No you couldn't." Jade mumbled. She wasn't back yet, holding onto consciousness by a hair. She'd been struck in the struggle, and her body ached even more. She didn't even have thoughts other then focusing on what was being said, and her own reactions. Slowly the world was either coming back into focus, or fading, and much to the raven haired girls annoyance, she wasn't sure which yet.

"Yea, your right, we needed you to fool the driver long enough for us to figure out where he was going and cut him off." Sanchez replied. "But you, stop taking risks. That plane wasn't ever getting off the ground. You could have gone along with things until we were ready to get you out."

Jade realized which was she was going as her world went red, and she drifted in a haze of pain fir a short eternity, until the medication they'd given her wore off enough for her to just fade to black.

When she woke up, she was sitting on the plane, in first class, wondering how the hell she'd gotten there. "Here, drink this." Someone said, offering her some water. Jade sipped it out of the straw, thankful for the cooling effect it was having. But as her world came back into focus, the blue eyed girl realized who her nurse was.

"Vega?" She asked, her voice not as horse as it could be.

"They brought you in on a wheel chair. But they took it with them when they left. I'm guessing we'll have to get you one when we land. Until then, this is first class, so feel free to have whatever you want. On the studio." Tori explained. "And oh yea," Her face came closer, so close that she was right in Jade's ear, "If you ever do something like that I'll...I'll… I don't know what I'll do, but I sweat it'll hurt. Now, we have something to discuss." Her voice had been an angry growl, sending shivers down the other girls spine.

"Look, Vega..." Her breath hitched as she regarded the lovely Latina beside her. "Tori, as much as I'd love to spend the next couple of hours talking about what went down, and letting the worlds biggest pop star play nursemaid as I recover from that turncoats attempt to make me extra-crispy, I feel this is something we're gonna want to include your sister in on. So why don't we agree to think about it. And I mean, we include the possible consequences, ramifications, and the like, as well as what exactly we'll tell Trina about our bar hopping experience."

"Yea, well, maybe if you hadn't been so distant, I wouldn't have been so desperate to see part of your past." Tori argued.

"I know." Jade cut off that argument right there. "Can you just hold me hand, cause after everything that just went down, I'm feeling really off, and I need some comfort, okay?"

Tori smiled. "I can totally do that." She said, holding the pale girls hand. That was what they did for over an hour, making small talk, sharing little bits about their pasts, until it was time to eat. Then, after dinner, they rested for the last part of the flight, ready to face Trina, and her inevitable bad reaction.

In business class, Bill was enjoying the flight, watching the movie on the pad they'd provided him, as long as he paid the fee. He loved it enough to justify the expense. Kasey, however, was busy filling in their itinerary on her Pearpad, trying to stay organized. 'Jade's hurt, bad. Not sure how this will affect things, but we need that noted, cause everything important needs to be noted...'

"Tori, it had occurred to me, you have a place in New York, right?" Jade asked, still enjoying being held by the pop princess, even if it was just her hand..

"Yea?" Tori asked, not wanting to let go.

"Why did we stay at a hotel then?" The bodyguard asked, forgetting that she'd already had an answer.

"Security." Tori replied. "The building, it's a secured one, but whats a doorman and a couple of locks to a terrorist wanna be. Trina felt the hotel, with it's much tighter security, was a better choice. Plus, they have room services at the hotel, and Trina loves room service. Especially when someone else is paying for it. Did you know, the first tour where they'd pay for that chiz, she empties the honor bar in each hotel we went too? Still does, sometimes, just to make the promoters pay five dollars for a candy bar. Especially if they wazzed her off, didn't listen to her, or were staring at her chest. But yea, security, cause she wanted me to be safe. Besides, Trina and I both thought it was the wrong time to show of my apartment. I mean, what if you got lost in it?"

"That big, huh?" The blue eyed girl asked.

"Huge." Tori said, smiling. "And we'll visit, when we're there for the show, or after the guy who's behind all this shit has been caught."

"What I wanna know, how the hell did he know I wasn't with you? I mean, the middle man, he fled, and it felt kinda sudden. How'd he know I was baiting a trap, bringing the police, It was a need to know operation." Trina wondered.

"We'll figure that one out later." Tori hummed. "Right now, I'm loving the new us."

"The new us?" Jade asked. "I thought we weren't talking about this until we had Trina with us?"

"But we've already said enough." The pop princess pointed out. "Like how you've allowed me to hold you for hours, even let me help you to the bathroom. I'll admit, I was kinda glad you didn't need help in that place, but only cause it's so tiny."

Jade laughed, enjoying the image of Tori trying to help her use the small restroom in the plane. "Okay, thats worth the smile." She said. "Tori, lets agree, no matter what, this is the beginning. I want to be your friend, and a relationship makes that harder. But I'm willing to try, if you can see dating me. Just, after the tour."

Tori's smile fell. "No, Jade, we're not waiting." The singer said. "I've waited far too long for someone like you to come into my life, and I'm not delaying any more. If we have to hide it, then fine, but we're not waiting any more."

"I'm your bodyguard." Jade scolded her. "I put my life on the line for you. I can't have you staying when I need you to run."

"Yea, sorry about that." The singer said, looking guilty. "But we're gonna have to work something out, cause I'm not waiting much longer. Hell, I figure we'll need a couple of weeks before we start the sexy stuff, and I'm not happy about that either."

"Um, maybe we should try to get some rest?" Jade suggested. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Fine." Tori said, kissing the other girls forehead before shifting the seats into sleeper mode and snuggling down for a nap.

Jade reached slowly with her good arm to hit the button letting the flight attendants know they were sleeping, and settled down to rest. Overnight flights often had small compartments, two or three seats wide, that were able to be closed off so the passengers could get some rest and not be disturbed by the lights on in the rest of the plane. Jade and Tori were sharing one, so they could sleep without bothering anyone else. It also gave them cover for their snuggling, and Tori's need to kiss the other girl.

Jade woke up to find they'd landed, and the stewardesses were waking everyone who was on the flight and either sleeping or trying to rest until they got to their destination. It had been a six plus hour flight. Now they were on their way out to meet up with the car that would take them to the hotel, where Tori would get some rest, shower, change, and go do media. Andre was waiting for them, along with Ron. She winced at the pain in her chest, as well as the morning sun. 'How late was our flight?' she mused.

"Tori, you okay?" The head of security asked.

"I'm fine." Tori replied. "But Jade's not. She was looked at by a paramedic, and a nurse, but needs to see a doctor ASAP."

"No, I need to stay near you, keep you safe." The bodyguard protested. She was walking, but slowly.

"New relationship, new rules." Tori spat. "Part one, you get checked out. I need to talk to Trina, who I assume has extra security for me here?"

"Lets get you to the hotel, and then we can get Jade to a doctor." Andre assured her. They loaded into a car, an armored SUV, and rolled off to the hotel. The entire drive, Jade was glaring at Tori, who only stuck her tongue out and then smirked.

"So, what happened?" Andre asked.

"I got desperate to see part of Jade's history, enough to try something behind her back. That allowed the jerk hunting us to lead us into a trap, and Jade got hurt getting my ass out of it." Tori said while looking him right in the eye. "I did, however, meet some of her family. Nice people. I owe them tickets to a future performance."

"Tori.." Jade tried.

"I want her seeing a doctor while I tell Trina about my mistakes, cause I don't need her trying to protect me. Not for this." Tori ordered the head of security.

"On it." He replied. "Javier, take Miss West directly to the hospital as soon as we get to the hotel. I want her seen by the best."

"Yes, mister Harris." The driver said.

"Honestly, I'm fine." Jade protested.

"No your not, and given what we talked about, I need you taken care of." Tori scolded her. "I need to be able to focus on my media appearances, so you go get taken care of, and I'll deal with Trina."

"Let it be said I was staying out of this one." Andre said, smiling. "Kasey, you gonna be all right taking care of Tori's demands?"

"Thats my job." The assistant said, smiling. "Or does she want me to oversee miss Wests examination?"

"Thats okay." Tori said. "I trust Javier here to do that."

"We're at the hotel." Their driver announced. Tori got out of the car, while Andre made sure Jade stayed in. Bill and Ron got their belongings out, taking thing in and escorting Tori up to her room. "Miss West, I assure you, this is far better." The driver said as he drove off.

"How?" She asked.

"Everyone already knows." Javier said, not looking back. "Miss Vega, Trina, she knows, and told her assistant, who told Mister Harris and mister Daniels, who told us. If your friend the nurse is correct, then you probably have cracked ribs, and maybe a broken bone or two. You're not fit for field duty. If you want to continue to earn your pay, you go see the doctor, and let Mister Harris fond a place where you can be of service."

Jade relaxed. "You wouldn't believe what I thought you meant when you said everyone knows." she breathed, smiling and looking out the window at the city as it flowed by.

"That you and Miss Tori are staring a romantic relationship?" He asked. "No, while obvious, not everyone knows about that. I know Mister Harris, mister Daniels, and Miss Vega, Trina, all know, but thats not the kind of thing you tell security."

"Then how'd.." Jade started.

"As I said, it's obvious." The driver repeated. "Like the argument you had with Miss Tori. She's concerned, in love and worried cause you got hurt. She knows, admitted it was her fault, and is gonna face her sister without you so you can't be blamed. Now shush, cause we're almost there."

:}

So, a bit more action, and a corrupt cop goes down. But the bad guys, their still out t here, and I doubt the loss of a few mercenaries is gonna stop them.

Anyways, thoughts, comments, wondering when Tori and jade will do more? Let me know.

Oh yea, review.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own victorious or any of it's characters.

:}

Jade and the driver arrived at what looked to be a small office in an office building. "This doctor is very good. He'll take good care of you, and it was closer then the hospital." A warm smile. "Also, he's trustworthy, so no one will find out about you and Miss Vega. Please, this is just a quick checkup, followed by the embarrassing bandaging, and then back to the hotel."

Jade didn't trust the driver, but quickly found he was telling the truth. The doctor was able to see her quickly, examining her and determining what she needed, then bandaging what could be bandaged, while splinting what he could. Then he wrote her a note in Spanish, telling Trina Jade's limits. Before she knew it, they were on their way back to the hotel. "See, I told you this was better. He's my doctor, and I figured you could use the personal touch." Javier smiled. "You don't trust much, do you? I can see it. But here, this is a safe place, and you're in good hands. Lets get you back to your lover." The smile on his face was scary, like he was rooting for them.

Tori had walked into Trina's office, ready to be chewed out. "So..." She started.

"Siobhan filled me in." Trina said. "She told me everything."

"I'm sorry." Tori said, starting to cry. "I was reckless, and Jade got hurt. She took a shotgun blast, right in her chest. I thought she was going to die..."

"She's hurt, and it's your fault." Trina agreed. "But thats the past, and we can learn from it. Not saying to strop with the fan interaction, cause thats kinda your thing, just saying to make sure things are safe, check with your people before you go someplace that could be a trap. Tori, I love you. You're my baby sister, and I want the best for you. Just, don't scare me like that any more."

"I love her." Tori admitted. "I love her, and I hurt her. I even let her go do that police thing, cause I thought she'd be safe. They could have killed her, and it would have been my fault." More tears as Tori allowed herself to open up and express her fears.

Trina was holding her by now. "No, that ones on Jade." The manager said. "I get what she was trying to do, but she shouldn't have taken risks. Now I have to chew her out for it. But for now, lets keep your and her romance on the down low, okay? We'll adjust your image after the tour. After we've had a chance to adjust things, get your security set up, get her a career, then we can see about you dating in the open. I'd love to have her standing next to you when Cat gets married. Save me the nightmare of finding you an escort."

Tori laughed. "Sure." She said, looking down. "But how can I wait? I mean, I want her now?" The singer was trying not to whine. But the tears had stopped.

"We'll work it out, okay?' Trina assured her again. "Just, we have media to go to. Go get cleaned up, and after, you can take a nap, get charged up for tonight performance. And while you do that, I'll talk to Jade." Trina looked out the door, trying to see the raven haired girl. "Where is she? It's not like her to let you face me without her there to help out, calm things down."

"I sent her to the hospital." Tori admitted. "She wouldn't get checked out, and I wasn't having her get hurt worse cause she was working injured. We'll get a doctors note, and go from there, okay?"

"Andre!" Trina called out to her head of security.

"Relax, I sent Javier, and he's good people." Andre assured her from just outside the office. He took that moment as an excuse to enter. "I've worked with him in the past, and we can trust him. As for security, we have enough. I've got half a dozen men we can trust around us, and Tori is gonna be in safe buildings. So lets get her cleaned up and on the road. I'll have Javier join up with us after their done."

"Have him take Jade to the venue, and she can get some rest until we get there." Trina instructed. "I'll talk to here there." He nodded and started speaking on the radio, before calling Javier and letting the man know what was expected.

Later, at the venue, Jade woke up from her nap to find Tori trying to discreetly move her aside and join her on the couch. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you." She mumbled. "Did you know Trina insists on a couch, full sized, in my dressing room in case I want to take a nap? She's always thinking of me."

Jade shifted up to a sitting position, then stood. "Time to face the music." She said.

"Whats did the doctor say?" Tori asked.

"Not sure. I don't read Spanish, and he wrote the note in it." The blue eyed girl admitted.

"Let me read it." Tori offered.

"No, you have to get ready for your show. I'll go deal with Trina." Jade replied.

"You know I won't be able to relax and focus until I know whats going on." Tori protested.

"Tell you what," Jade offered, "You rest up, give a great show, and I'll have a late dinner with you. Just the two of us."

"We do that sometimes anyways." Tori said, rolling her eyes.

"But this time, we can call it a date." The bodyguard offered.

"With date rules?" The megastar asked. "As in, you'll finally answer some of those embarrassing questions I've been dying to ask you?"

"Date rules says I'll be avoiding those like the plague." The blue eyed girl teased. "But yea, we'll talk, open up a bit, and I'll even tell you about growing up with Beck as a close friend, unless you don't wanna hear that."

"I think I do." Tori remarked. "Cause maybe it'll help me see him as he really was, instead of the jerk I dated for ten fucking years."

"Yea, sorry about that." Jade felt strangely embarrassed.

"Don't be." Tori replied. "I had to come a long way to accept I found you attractive. I needed the hook, the connection, and now I have it. So go, talk to Trina, but this dinner had better be worth it."

"If it's not, you expecting me to flash you?" Jade joked as she walked out the door. Seconds later, her phone beeped. Checking it, she found a text reading 'I've already seen that..'

The raven haired girl made it to Trina's makeshift office, a space often used as an office by whatever celebrities management when they were using this venue. "Okay, I'm here, let the chewing our commence." She said, walking in and hoping she wasn't interrupting anything important.

"Andre, get in here now." Trina said over the radio. "Jade, glad you could make it. You have a doctors note?" Jade handed her the note. "Hmm, I see…." The manager read it twice, checking to see what complications it might represent. "Lets wait for Andre to show up."

The head of security showed a short time later. "So, what'd the note say?" He asked.

"A couple of cracked ribs, some soft tissue damage to her arm and body, as well as a hell of a lot of bruising." The manager said mechanically. "Basically, she's useless as a bodyguard for the next month, maybe more."

"So we swap jobs." Andre said calmly. "She acts as the extra pair of eyes, and I go with Tori when she heads out."

"I figured that much." Trina said, glaring at Jade. "Then again, she had to go and make this more complicated, didn't she?"

"Look, I admit, I should never have let her talk me into taking her to a place I hadn't checked out thoroughly before we ever set foot in it. I was sloppy." Jade didn't try to defend herself.

"You did your job, and Tori didn't run when you told her too." Trina said, not bothering to sound upset. "She cares for you, so I can't just pay you to sit at home, have the insurance pay for a substitute security officer, and just write the whole thing off. But noooo, cause after you and her promising me that you were professionals, that Tori didn't fucking care about you, she and you walk into a trap that you should have been able to get her out of, but she was too busy trying to protect you. Tori is fucking in love with you. Three months early, she's in love with you. I.. I'm gonna have to do something about this. Jade..."

"Sorry..." Jade's voice was small.

"You keep doing your job, just swap the duties you can't perform with Andre here, and we'll see if we can get some insurance money, or the studio will pony up the cash, for us to hire an extra hand until your on your feet. But for now..." She took a deep breath. "Has Tori read this note yet?"

"No." The damaged bodyguard replied. "She wanted too, but I made her a deal. Promised her a discreet date if she just let it be, gave a great performance tonight." She saw the glare emanating from her boss. "I screwed up again, didn't I?"

"I have nothing against the deal, except I need you and her to keep it on the down low until we get you into the movies. I'll call around, see if I can get you something early..." Trina looked tired, like this had been a major strain on her.

"Wait!" Jade cut her off. "Please, just let me do my job. Andre's made adjustments for me, and thats gonna help. We can be discreet, not let anyone know. Just, give us some time to work this out, cause I'm not leaving her without me while some maniac is hunting for her. I saw the mercs he had, and this guys serious. We need..." She looked around the room, seeing the way even Ryder was staring at her. Even Malcolm was looking at her like she'd gone off the deep end.

"There's the problem." Ryder said. "Jade, babe, your thinking like a girl in love, not a pro. Yes, we want to protect her, but you want to do it personally. Lets think this through. It's, I'm not against you being there, protecting her, cause I totally understand." His eyes flashed to Trina, who was staring back at him, and for a moment, he almost panicked. "That is, conceptually, I get it." He tried to cover, not seeing how Trina turned so he couldn't see the evil smirk on her face. "But if you stay, it has to be under rules. We work as a team, and we let the authorities handle finding this jerk, okay?"

"Yes, lets make a deal." Trina said. "I'll call around, see if Phillip can get you work, something before the movies he's bound to be lining up for you. Just short term stuff. You want her safe, you make sure that whomever replaces you while your doing whatever I line up for you as your agent is trained to take care of her. And when I say it's time for you to go and make a movie, or shoot a television show, you go, no complaints. Once you're healed enough, we pull the trigger on your career. It's easier to replace a bodyguard then a love interest. Sorry, Jade, but you have two months at most before I fond you something. Keep her safe until then, and you'll probably be back on tour for the final push."

"Trina, please, I'm a bodyguard. Even with the acting coach, I'm no where near ready." Jade tried.

"Sorry, but your value to the tour just shifted." Trina said, her voice soft but final. "In the next two months, you could be a liability if your out there with Tori, and you know it. So do your job, and date her, cause having someone she cares about will make her take fewer risks. Thats how you'll help her move into the future." Jade opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. "And Jade, the next time you help the police, take fewer risks. No telling how much worse things are now cause you went and played hero when Tori needed you by her side. You can go now. Tori's waiting for you." She'd made a copy of the doctors note, and handed the original back to Jade.

Jade was fuming, not sure how to handle her new duties, as she walked back to talk to Tori. "Yo, Jade, I wanted to go over a few things with you before we get too into things." Andre called out.

"If it's how to do your job, lets talk while she's on stage, okay?" The raven haired girl asked. "I'm not much in the mood for talking right now."

"And I get that." Dre said, walking next to her. "I totally do. No, what I wanted to talk about is just me asking, please, don't take your frustrations at Trina out on Tori. Girl loves you, and she needs this. I mean, not loving her bodyguard, cause cliche, but loving someone who can love her for being her."

"You sound convinced." Jade said, stopping to look the man over. "Trina's hinted at this before, so… How long have you suspected?"

"Bermuda." Andre replied. "Okay, I saw her interest in you starting in Bermuda, at that impromptu party she and Beck threw for us. The way she looked at you, it was almost a hunger, but she was with Beck, and I hadn't seen your side of it yet..."

"Beck loves being the big man." Jade commented. "It's a chizzing New York thing, comes from the gang mentality we grew up around. The big men, they tipped well, earned their respect by having money and being willing to share just a taste. Like in those old mafia movies. It's one of the reasons he reached back to the old neighborhood for a group of friends, his entourage." 

"And you're avoiding." The head of security said, smirking. "Jade, I knew you were smitten somewhere along the way, but never once had the kind of solid proof I did for Tori. Besides, Beck was a great object lesson in keeping one's hands out of other peoples love lives. But now, back to the present, and you and Tori are involved. No sense in fighting it. So instead, we have you work until Trina finds you other work, coming back to the tour as you finish the small stuff, cause we do like having you around."

"And it'd be harder for us to continue to develop feelings for one another if I'm constantly gone." Jade added. "How are you and Trina gonna use that? Tell her not to risk my life, so she won't sneak off so much once back in the states?"

"And miss out on my chance to go back out sightseeing with Tori?" He asked, smiling now. "Are you out of your mind? Hell no, I loved that part of the job. Just her and me, and maybe you now, if we can swing it, heading out on the open road, seeing some of those small sights she loves so much. Or maybe, just maybe, we catch a second rate movie in a small theater. Did that last tour, hit a small one room theater, caught a movie we never would have seen otherwise. But we were miles from anything, in a small town where that theater was once the height of entertainment, and we loved seeing a movie that would have barely made it as a made for Television without places like that theater."

Jade was shocked. "You really liked that kind of chiz?"

"It was a chance to see her away from the trappings of fame, being more herself then anywhere else. Of course I loved it. But I also realized that she wasn't gonna go falling for her bodyguard, so the pressures of being with a pretty girl vanished too. Silly me, I hadn't realized it, but I just didn't have the breasts to win her heart." He smirked as she unconsciously moved her arm to cover herself. "And Jade, a word of advice, she'll appreciate it more if you don't keep trying to cover them. Not saying she's only in it for the boobies, but hay, if you got them, flaunt them."

Jade's glare was dangerous, but somehow his smile managed to relax her just a bit. "Maybe I should go tell her whats gonna happen?" Jade asked.

"Maybe." Andre replied. "And maybe you should be ready for her to wanna do things with you, things that you might not be comfortable with." He chuckled. "And I'm not talking about the sexy time stuff, which she wants, but maybe her babying her hurt savior for a bit, cause you got all damaged and hurt saving her life."

"What about this jerk who's trying to kidnap Tori?" Jade asked.

"Trust me, I'm more then motivated to find his ass." Andre's voice was dark, dangerous. "When we find him, I get a piece. Don't need much, just a piece..."

"Oh, we'll find him." Jade assured Andre. "Lets talk about that later, I have a pop star to placate."

Tori re-read the note, looking at her bodyguard over the paper. "Trina's gonna want this in your file." She said, holding the note out for Kasey to grab. As her assistant took the note, she regarded her companion carefully. "I suppose I'm glad Dre can step in, cause there aren't that many people I'd feel comfortable having that close to me. But I agree with Trina, you have another job now, and thats getting better, getting a career so we can be together, and being there for me. No more unnecessary risks."

Jade huffed, not flinching from the pain of that movement. Taping the body for support helped, but it still hut to breath, and it was worse if she breathed too deep. "Until I hear otherwise, my main job is your safety. That means your physical health, followed by your emotional health, then your image. Dating, while part of the emotional health, is low on the rankings. We can have dinner, a lot of behind the scenes chiz, but we can't do a proper date until after the tour."

"So now I have to work to seduce someone?" Tori asked, an evil, mischievous smile on her face. "The doctors note didn't say much about sex, just to take it easy for a couple of weeks. I figure, in time, we'll be ready for the big step, probably by the time you're doctor says you're ready. And until then, I have plenty of stuff to remind me of what I like about you."

"Ten pictures of my ass?" The raven haired girl asked.

"I have that recording of you singing Animal." Tori corrected her. "And our duet from Hawaii. Gods, Jade, there's more to me then some teenage boy's sex drive..."

"I recall, you got drunk, days after you and Beck broke up, and walked into the bathroom while I was showering, just to get yourself a peek." Jade joked.

"I still can't believe I ever thought I wasn't attracted to you." Tori moaned. "My god, how is it the entire media isn't aware that I'm into you?"

"Shapiro is." Jade reminded her. "You remember the first day I met him, how he told me I was the story? Man was right. Lets hope his instincts help us find the guy who's behind the kidnapping attempts. I desperately want him brought down before you return to the U.S. The kidnapper, that is. Shapiro can go on, as usual, until he disses my girl again."

"I doubt they'll find him in a week." Tori said. At the look Jade was giving her, the singer continued. "I have a performance on Conan in a week, and it's live from Los Angeles. I'm gonna be there for almost two days. I'll have to see if Trina wants you with me, or if she's gonna keep you here, safely away from trouble while I go and sing."

"At least you'll be safe, surrounded by that many cops." Jade noted.

"Yep." Tori agreed. "And I'll even be able to go home, relax in my own place." She hesitated. "On second thought, maybe you should come with. I'm having an extra set of rooms, along with an external garage, put in, so I can have a security room set up. Maybe you'd like to come check it out, give you expert opinion?"

"And I'd stay where, you're place?" Jade asked.

"I'm sure I could find someplace or you." Tori teased.

"Let me talk to Andre about this." Jade said, smiling. But inside, she was plotting. 'We need to find the guy behind this, fast. Tori won't have as many cops around her this time as she did the last, so she'll be vulnerable. Guys got money, had a mole in the New york police, so he might have on in Los Angeles too. I'll speak with Andre, see what he can think of… we need to get this guy, ASAP.'

Jade had reached out to every contact she had, and still it wasn't enough. They just weren't finding the guy who was behind this. Yet still the pending performance on Conan, the last big performance promoting the movie, was creeping closer and closer, and with it the trip back to Los Angeles in the U.S.. Each day Tori would smile at Jade, and the bodyguard knew she had to do something, cause this guy was never gonna stop. So she called Shapiro, almost daily, while Tori was doing an interview, or rehearsing a new song, or writing her latest ode to whatever miracle she was trying to honor that day. Not much was coming of their conversations.

"They hired a dirty cop in New York, so I'm betting they'll be able to find a dirty cop in L.A." Jade groaned at the gossip. "We need to be ahead of this. I mean, in Los angeles, Trina thinks Tori won't need as much protection, so thats the best place to do the snatch."

"I get it." Robbie said. 'What with you out of action, L.A. would be a good choice to grab her. Just one problem, the LAPD isn't about to let that happen. Even if they get a dirty cop, it's a long road up hill to using that to find a weakness in Tori's defenses. Just, let me reach out again, see what I can find out about possible safe houses this guy could be using to hide his people."

So the flight to Los Angeles was a lot more tense then any they'd been on the entire time of the tour. Tori was worried about her performance, while Jade was convinced that Los Angeles was her weak point now. 'She's a cops daughter, so there's like a million of them watching out for her, but that just presents a challenge. This is their best, possibly last, chance to get her without her full security force around her. Yes, it's gonna happen here, I can feel it in my blood. There out there, plotting, and this time, they're gonna fight dirty.'

At the airport, much to their surprise, they were met by Enzo, who had a car waiting for them. "Hay, sis, you gotta see the place Beck's living in right now. He made friends with this rich dude, and he's crashing at that dudes home in Beverly chizzen Hills for the next few weeks, while he finishes negotiating his run on L.A. Undercover. Can you believe it, he's gonna be on L.A. Undercover."

"Whats rolls he gonna play?" Tori asked.

"Jade's partner slash love interest. They find out that a crooked ex cop was behind a series of kidnappings, and Beck plays the guy who's working with Jett Stetson to go after the scum. Thats all I know, other then Beck wants Jade to play his partner, and she can have her own fight scene. They've been getting edgier lately." Enzo let slip.

"Wait, is Beck trying to ride my coattails in, or help me get a part to let he world know what I can do?" Jade asked.

"He's trying to help himself by helping you." Tori said. "And we're letting him, cause it serves our own ends."

"Right." Beck's personal trainer said, smiling. "But for now, let me get you home, and maybe you can drop by, see the place, before your big performance?"

"How about after?" Jade offered. "We have some layover time here while Tori gets ready to rejoin the tour, one last show down south and we're back on the road, only this time up in the great white north. And we'll be back with our regular tour then cause the trucks can move her sets again."

"And we'll need a couple of days to get used to the full set again." Tori added. "Hence the shows in Alaska. And oh yea, we're also touring a weather station, if you can believe that."

"That so cool." Enzo babbled. He led them to the limo, a stretched white one, and smirked as the driver opened the door for him. Inside, they found plenty of room to sit and talk, but other then catching Enzo up with Jade's latest interactions with her family back in new York, they didn't have that much to talk about. Bill and Kasey both were focused this time, with the big guy constantly watching the cars around them and the assistant typing away on her pad. It made for a tense trip. It got a little worse when Siobhan was brought up. Clearly, Siobhan didn't like that anyone in the family, adopted or otherwise, was so close to Beck.

They got to Tori's home, making it through the heavy security, and were able to settle in and relax for a bit. "Jade, did notice, we're all alone?" Tori cooed after Enzo and the car had left and they'd settled in a bit.

"Accept for Kasey and Bill." Jade said, smiling. "What did you have in mind?"

"How about some nude swimming?" Tori teased. "No, we have to wait for you to heal a bit more, don't we?"

"I can get wet." Jade protested.

"But are you ready for us to go all the way?" Tori asked. "This is sex, with heavy, real consequences. This is about love."

"So, why's Andre still with the tour?" Jade changed the subject.

"Cause Los Angeles is safe." Tori said with a shrug. "Two more weeks, Jade. Two more weeks, and you're mine. Or at least open to my taking."

"When do we need to be at the studio?" Jade asked, again changing the subject.

"They tape around four, so two." Tori replied. "Lets settle in. Tonight, I wanna just relax." There was a buzzing. "Oh, that'd be my parents. Be a dove, and let them in, will you?"

Jade looked over to where Kasey was busy getting their dinner ready, and growled. 'This was a setup.' She decided, right then, and walked over to the door. The security officer for the complex was standing there. "Miss West, these are Miss Vega's parents. We escorted them in, cause her father likes to look around."

"Do you have any idea the kinds of crimes that these walls might be hiding?" The police officer asked. His wife just rolled her eyes, worried that they'd once again get caught up in Davids not so hidden conspiracy theories about how the rich get away with murder.

About that time, if not a bit earlier, Trina got a call from Robbie. "Trina, I was wondering, do you guys use the cloud to keep track of Tori's schedule?" He asked.

"I don't, but maybe we should ask Kasey." The manager replied. She looked out the window of her room, at the tropical resort where her and the crew were staying while waiting for Tori rejoin them. This was their last show in Latin America.

"Ask Malcolm." The reporter insisted.

Trina huffed. "Mal, could you come here for a moment?" She asked her assistant. "Um, someone wants to know, do we keep Tori's schedule on the cloud?"

"Kinda." The assistant said. "We have a secure part of it for our use, so Kasey and I can share documents, coordinate stuff, keep everyone on the same page. Why?'

"Okay, Rob, I'm putting you on speaker phone so I'm not playing fucking relay, okay?" Trina announced. "But yes, we do, why?"

"Malcolm, I'm gonna ask you a strange question." Rob said. "Would you mind downloading a piece of software for me?"

"Depends, what is it?" Malcolm was careful about ever piece of software he touched. He knew about spyware, and wasn't going to let some be slipped onto his tablet by a gossip reporter.

"Technically, spyware, but you'll be getting a remove option, cause I know you'll want it off once you know what it does." Rob explained. "Look, I understand if you don't wanna, but we need to check your stuff for some high end spyware, and this program is the best shot we have. It's developed for snoops like me, and will alert me to the presence of other spyware on your system. Plus, you'll know it's there, so you can have your own experts remove it."

"Okay, but I don't trust you." Mal said, as he followed the verbal instructions and opened the laced email from the gossip.

"Okay, I have no idea how long it's gonna take for this to..." Robbie was saying, only to stop. "Okay, we have it. Yep, the program is piggybacking on existing spyware. Looks to me like someone else has access to your cloud account, as well as the ability to remotely access your Pearpad. I'm betting they have access to Tori's assistants as well. Hell, they have access to all your electronics. That means, if their watching, they'd know we know. But guess what. I can block that, cause they can't be watching all the time now, can they. This is good. Let me talk to some people. And Trina, go to the people I'm sending you now, and get this removed. All of it, remove it from your cloud account, from everything. Just, not immediately. It's time to bait a trap..."

"Details, Shapiro, of this ends now." Trina barked.

"Lets just say I think I might have access to an agent in their camp..." The paparazzi gloated, as he had his people take control of both the spyware, and the cloud account.

:}

So we know Jade got lucky, cracked ribs, and a lot of bruising, as well as soft tissue damage, but nothing that would require a body cast. She's hurting, and is restricted in what she can do. However, things are going smoothly for the couple, at least for the present. Ant Tori is playing games. What could she want that she doesn't already have?

The last part was important, cause now we know where the spy was. All it takes is one infected system…

Reviews are welcome. Let me know what you think. Is Jade right? Will they try something in L.A.? Let me know what you think.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Schneider's Bakery and Nickelodeon own Victorious and it's characters. I only own my original characters, the rest are borrowed, and will be returned when I'm done.

:}

Back in Los Angeles, Jade was wondering "what kind of person let their parents know they're involved, then just heads out and leaves that new relationship alone with their parents?" It had been a growing concern for the girl ever since Tori had announced she needed to go down to her private practice room to get ready for that evening, leaving Jade to entrain her folks. 'She had to toss that out, the whole "Jade and I are involved, just not sexually, cause of her injuries," just as she walked down the stairs. Doesn't she know how embarrassing this is?'

"So, Jade, you said you had a contact in the New York police department?" David was asking.

"Yea, this lieutenant, named Sanchez. We kinda met back when I was still cage fighting." The raven haired girl admitted. 'Geez, way to make an impression.' She tried to calm herself. "He's been a motivating force in my career, mostly by cutting off options that I'd thought were clear and open. He even pushed for me to take this job."

"Sounds like a lovely man." Holly added, her voice riddled with sarcasm.

"But thats the thing." David emphasized for his wife. "She knew the kind of man he was, so she knew, when things went sideways, he was someone she could trust."

"Jade, can I ask you a question?" Holly looked at her. For a moment, it felt like the question wasn't coming, as the mother tried several way of wording it before plunging forward with the most direct. "What the hell did you do to my daughter?"

"Sorry?" The bodyguard asked. "What did I do again?"

"Tori, she's all over you." The mother said. "She was such a good girl, respectful and polite. And now, she lets us know she intends to do things with you, then heads down to practice for tonight. Thats just not the girl I remember."

"She has become a bit more, um, bold." David said, smiling.

"David, this isn't funny." Holly scolded him.

"But how do we know it's her fault?" He shot back. "Maybe it's residual from that boy she was seeing?"

"Nonsense, Beck was such a good boy." The Vega matriarch pointed out. "Remember, when we met him, how polite and respectful he was. And not just then, every time he'd come around, he was so proper. I swear, since losing him, Tori's just gone down hill."

"Her and him both." David let slip. "What? He's had a dozen girlfriends since the breakup, mostly arm candy. Some of the guys at the precinct think he's compensating, but not me. I just think that Shapiro guy was right, and Beck is finally able to live out his adolescent fantasies, the ones he didn't get to have while seeing Tori."

"Yea, about that..." Jade tried to figure out how to let hem know just how bad a boy Beck could be. 'He's good at making a good impression.' She reminded herself. "I kinda dated him, back in the day."

"Oh, I know." Tori's dad said. "I know a lot more then you'd think. But that relationships in the past now, right? You and him, trying to be friends, but you both agree that Tori is the girl for you, right? Cause that makes you visiting him this evening more palatable." He watched her eyes, saw the surprise in them, and smirked. "You forget, I have resources too. Now, lets put that behind us, and get to the part where I give you the talk, and Tori just ignores it cause she's obviously the one more driven to make something out of this relationship."

"I can be aggressive." Jade protested, then shrank back a bit. "But I'm the bodyguard. I'm paid to be able to blend into the background until needed."

"No, you're paid to protect my daughter." Holly corrected her. "And according to my eldest, soon you'll be paid to do other things." Somehow, it sounded too suggestive to be referring to Jade's impending acting career.

Tori, mercifully, rescued her girlfriend from that conversation by coming up for something to eat. They ate the food that Kasey had been sent out to get, in it's nice takeout containers. "Thats something I should warn you about, dear." Holly told the bodyguard. "Tori here, she got famous, and never bothered to learn the important skills a woman needs. Did she tell you she couldn't cook?"

"I can so cook." The pop princess protested.

"Oh, look at the time, we really need to get changed so we can go to the studio." Jade said quickly. "Mister and misses Vega, will you be there? I'm sure Tori would love to have you. But for now, we need to get moving. Sorry. It was a lovely lunch. We'll have to do that again sometime."

"Diplomatic, I like that." Tori's dad said as he watched the girls hurry our of the breakfast nook and off to their rooms to get changed.

Jade really didn't need to change, but doing so made her excuse seem more real, so she changed. Her body armor and weapons were secured on her person, as well as her other essentials. Then, she walked out to check on Bill before heading over to Tori's room to knock on the door. "You ready in there?"

"Just a second." Tori called out. "Um, Jade, sorry about feeding you to my parents, but I really wanted them to know about us. I hope I didn't jump the gun there."

"No, it's all right." The blue eyed girl replied. "They had the right to find out from you. Better then them learning from the tabloids, right?"

The door opened, and Tori walked out carrying the outfit she'd be wearing for her appearance. The dress she was wearing was obviously for later, when they'd be dropping by Beck's place for a visit. But that wasn't heavy on her mind, not when she was busy trying to sort everything else out. "Oh, we're telling the tabloids, soon as Trina gives the go ahead."

"Crap." Kasey swore, drawing Jade's attention before she could get caught up arguing with Tori.

"Whats wrong?" Jade asked.

"I'm having trouble with my Pearpad." The personal assistant said. "For whatever reason, it's not letting me add an event to the calendar."

"What event?" Jade asked. "You know what, it probably doesn't matter. Lets have you call tech support while we're at the show, and if we're lucky, it's nothing."

"It's probably the latest software update." Kasey gripped. "Sometimes, they update, and it just doesn't work. I'll call, but it may be out of their hands..."

The small group rode in the back of the limo to the studio in Burbank California, where they were able to relax and watch as Tori did one rehearsal with the local band. Then, Tori walked back to the dressing room to change for the show. "Yo, Kase, whats up with your calender? Fixed it yet?"

"Yea, and I didn't even call tech support. I'm guessing it uploaded a patch, and everything's good now." The other girl replied.

"I'm not convinced." The bodyguard said. "Who do we know with good cyber security? I'm thinking we need to check this out."

"Why?" The assistant asked. "This shit happens. I mean, I get updates, and my pad gets all wonky. It's worse when I get updates to my virus protection, cause then it gets real slow for a few days. We just work though this."

"Yea, we need to get that pad of yours checked out." Jade assured her. "Just thinking, how bad could it be, really, if that calender of yours is compromised? I'll bet it has all her appointments on it."

"I have everything." Kasey assured Jade. "I'm connected to Malcolm, and Trina, via the cloud, so I have access to whatever I need to do my job."

"So you know our flight schedule?" The raven haired girl asked.

"Flights, hotels, car companies, everything we need to know." Even the assistant was starting to look worried as she explained how much of their lives where on that pad. "Crap, I keep notes on here too."

"Like?" Jade asked, her heart now thumping.

"I made notes about your injuries, and about Tori's growing feelings for you." The assistant said.

"Great." Jade moaned. "If they did hack your pad, they know about my, and Tori's, weaknesses. You can bet they'll be using it against us, soon." They let that sir while Tori got ready.

After the performance, and the interview that followed, Jade wanted to head back to Tori's home. But the singer wouldn't hear of it. "Jade, we're going to spend time with Beck, cause he's your friend. Also, we're in this together."

"His place isn't safe." Jade protested. 'Nowhere is until we make sure no one hacked Kasey's pad.'

"It's in fucking Beverly Hills." Tori mocked. "That place is all kinds of safe."

Jade knew she'd lose the argument, so she called to let Tori's parents know where they were going. Things got a bit more suspicious when they were in the car, Tori's car, and the driver got a call telling him to change to a different address. "Mister Oliver's at a friends place, and wishes you to meet him there." The driver said.

Tori just shrugged. "It's Beverly Hills. We're perfectly safe." She told her bodyguard. Jade wasn't convinced.

As they pulled up to the house, Jade was getting off the phone with Enzo. "I called Zoe, and he said he wasn't with Beck right now. He's at Beck's other place, while Beck's here talking with a couple of the guys he does business with." She didn't like it, not one bit.

"Why would Beck leave his entourage at home?" Tori wondered.

"Why leave the Jersey boys at home?" Kasey asked. "Miss Vega, please, why bring them to a classy business party like this? They'd only embarrassed him. No, better to have a few people he can trust, who can blend in, or better yet, not be noticed. I'm worried that Bill and I won't fit in."

"Don't." Jade said sharply. They were closing on the house.

"Okay, we're here." The driver announced. They looked out to see a monster of a mansion, at three stories high and wide enough to encompass multiple normal houses. If Jade had to guess, she'd say it was at least ten thousand square feet, but could be much bigger. It was painted a uniform white, giving no hint at the decorations on the inside. They were near the grand entrance, and Jade would bet there were at least two more ways in from the front alone. The estate was on a lot of open land, acres of open space and amenities to protect the house from prying eyes, all behind a hedge wall concealing an eight foot tall barred perimeter fence.

Beck was there to greet them. "Everyone, just a warning, there are cell blockers all over the place here. There to help keep the paparazzi in check, cause my host values his privacy. Since none of us likes being out of contact, I'm gonna give you the wifi password. That should give you phone access."

The small group logged into the houses very strong wifi signal even before they fully existed the car, and Kasey checked to make sure she was connected to the world. Then they made their way into the house. On the way in, both Bill and Jade noting a LOT of security walking he perimeter. "Yea, about that..." Beck said, his hand on the back of his neck. "My hosts other guest, he brought his own security. He's kind paranoid. But that means we'll have a lot of guys patrolling the grounds, so it's all good." The actor escorted them into the house, past he living room where the guests were assembled and to a door. "You can leave your coats in here." He said.

Jade opened the door, and saw a small but furnished room. "I'll take the coats." She announced, walking the coats into the room. Before she could finish dropping placing them on a chair, Bill and Kasey were shoved into the room, followed by Tori. Jade managed to catch Tori, while Bill had spread his hands so as to not have his bulk landing on Kasey.

"Sorry, but this is how it had to be." Beck told them as he locked them in. Both Bill and jade were there in an instant, confirming that they were locked in and the door was solid. Bill, being larger and stronger then Jade, threw his bulk against the door, aiming toward the handle side to better shatter the frame and provide them egress. The door held, bouncing the big guy without shifting as much as a hair. It was solid.

Jade took that moment Bill was trying to break out to look around. The room had no windows, and only one door. Taking a closer look a closer look, Jade confirmed that it was a secured, armored door. "This looks like a safe room." Bill announced as he held his arm. It wasn't badly damaged, but he still stung from the impact of his earlier attempt. "Lets see if there's a monitor we can use to check what everyone's up to."

"No, lets call the cops." Jade said as she pulled hr phone out. She tried, but the call just dropped before she even made the connection with the outside world. Checking again, she realized that the internet here was monitored, and only approved numbers would be reachable. Further, whomever was monitoring the wifi could isolate and stop any single phone connected tot he internet. If whomever was running things didn't want you calling out, it wasn't happening. She then tried turning off her wifi connection, and confirmed there was no signal, at least in the safe room. "Everyone check, cause if this is a safe room, then I'll bet there has to be a phone in here."

It only took Bill a moment to find the hidden control panel in the wall, and from there turn on the monitors that were also hidden behind a set of retractable panels in the same wall. The big guy lost no time in finding out what he could and could not do with the panel, and soon they had a security feed showing them various images of what was happening in the house. Of particular interest was what was happening in the sitting room Beck had steered them past on the way to this room. They could clearly see Back, sitting there trying to discreetly listen to that annoying portable radio he sometimes carried hidden in his pocket, while simultaneously talking to the other guests. His ear buds were hidden, but still visible to anyone who listened. And to keep up, he only had one in.

The security panel had some sound capacity, so they turned it on to find out who was who in the other room, as well as what was going to happen to them. "Beck, you made the right choice." The host, a young man of limited height and a rounded face was saying, . His light hair was cut in a professional style, and he was wearing a blue sweater vest over a yellow polo shirt. "This way, no one finds out about your extra curricular habits, or why Miss Vega really dumped you, and we'll make sure no one can connect you to her disappearance." His voice was condescending, like he was speaking to a broken pet, and not a man who he was doing business with.

"And Jade?" Beck asked. "She stays with me?"

"Beck, my poor, deluded fellow, of course not." Their host said. "We need her, now that we know Tori has feelings for her. So she's coming with us, as collateral, to ensure both her cooperation, and yours." The actor filched at that statement. "Have you met my other guest? Beck, I'd like you to meet prince Festus Al-Yerba." he gestured to a man dressed nicely, with a traditional Keffiyeh completing his look. Two guards flanked him.

"You!" Beck hissed. His body tenses as he fought off his disdain for the , but he held his place.

"The driver?" Festus asked, glancing at the other man near the door.

"He's been paid off." The host said. "And I wouldn't worry about Mister Oliver here. He has far too much to lose."

Beck, at that moment, unconsciously checked his pocket, to make sure the cheap pocket radio he'd brought was working, the one Jade had noted when she saw him.. The cell blockers didn't always stop radio waves, so he could still listen to the news if he wanted. When he'd arrived, and they'd searched him, he'd told the host he always carried a pocket radio, ever since he was a kid and found one, used and cheap. It was old technology, but let him hear the game, or music, or whatever almost anywhere he was in the city. Jade would comment it was also his little job at whomever he was with, since he knew that, should whomever it is bore him, he always had other options. "I want an apology." Beck hissed at Festus, seemingly bolstered by that one piece of familiar in his hand.

"Why would I apologize to you?" The Prince asked.

"You called me a baby dick, said I wasn't man enough to keep Tori." The actor shot back.

"You still aren't." The host said. "If you were, she'd be with you right now, and not romancing her very injured bodyguard." Then glancing over to the sheik. "The girl with the large chest."

"Mister Oliver, I don't need bad blood between us. However, if it comes down to it, I really don't care." Festus added. "You see, you seek to use your looks and charm to convince women to be with you, while I seek to own them. Thats the difference. I could have a small penis, but mines huge, but even if it where as microscopic as yours, the women in my life will never care. I would never care. And that because I'm a prince and my wives, my harem, their property, not equals. I do what I want with them. And Tori...Tori will be my crown jewel, my favorite conquest."

In the safe room, Jade and Bill were taking stock. "Okay, Bill, what you got?'

"I'm in my body armor, so thats something." The big guy said. "I'm packing a _D_ esert _E_ agle . _44_ Magnum _Ca_ lifornia mod, with eight rounds and two extra clips. Thats a lot of stopping power."

"Okay, I'm in my body armor, and I have twin Glock 23 gen 4's, but with 10 round clips, cause this is California and you're not allowed the full fifteen." Jade listed, bemoaning the loss of extra firepower now, w hen she felt she needed it. "I'm also carrying a Glock 27 as backup, cause you know, I only have to buy the .40 caliber rounds. Good combination of stopping power and capacity. Vega, you're taking my backup. It'll give you a few shots to use to slow those guys down if they try to come for you."

"Only problem I see, I'm pretty sure their guys are wearing body armor too." Tori said, scorning the idea of them shooting their way out. "Plus, we're locked in the safe room. Look at them, drinking wine and talking about what their gonna do to me."

"From what I can tell, Beck's being blackmailed." Kasey said, having paid the most attention to what was going on outside. "And all I have is my pad, my phone, and my desire not to get shot."

"I like that top." Bill offered, but it was poor consolation for their predicament.

"So Beck's being blackmailed, huh?" Jade said.

"That guy, the one dressed as an Arab..." Tori said, pointing him out.

"Yea, thats probably the guy behind this." Jade agreed. "Okay, since I doubt anyone here but Vega could reliably hit the face, we're gonna have to do this the hard way. Bill, what else you got?"

"That looks like Festus..." Tori continued.

"Who?" Kasey asked.

"He ran the grub truck, the food truck that serviced Hollywood Arts." Tori explained. "Last I'd heard, he was running his own fleet of food trucks."

"I have s retractile baton, at knife, and that about it." Bill said. "Not crazy about taking that many on in hand to hand. Did anyone get a head count?"

"Our drivers been what? Paid off? That means our job is to get Tori here to the car… You still don't drive, do you?" Jade sighed, looking at Tori who was staring at the sheik looking guy. "That means we need to get both you and Kasey to the car, and give you time to get the hell outta here." She returned her attention tot he small pile of weapons she was carrying. "Anyways, I have two retractable stun sticks, both weighted to act as batons once their out of power, a backup taser, cause gods those things work, and a pair of scissors I've had for years. Kinda my good luck charms."

"um, Jade, their wearing body armor." Tori repeated.

"So we're gonna have to rely on our fists." Jade said back. "Honesty, Vega, Bills gun, the bullets have about as much kinetic energy as a bowling ball rolling towards the pins. Just, the bullet, it's a lot smaller, so it pierces, does damage as it tears through it's target. That means the body armor is designed to blunt the force, spread it, so we feel like we've been kicked, but aren't pierced. So we take advantage, use our knowledge of martial arts. I'll get close, cause most holds rely on pulling or twisting, things their armor won't do squat against. Then, with hitting, we'll use the batons to increase the force of our blows, and it'll hurt as much if not more then getting shot. Plus, they didn't, couldn't armor their hands, so the batons work great for disarming. So, we'll have the advantage if we get in close. Finally, and remember this, the bullet resistant armor, it's a weave. Piercing, like knives, that can cut through the armor, and do some damage." The fierce female bodyguard checked the monitor as she thought about her next move. 'Assuming their not wearing trauma plates or other hard armor.'

"So how do we get out?" Kasey asked.

Back in the living room, Beck was trying to make his exit. "Um, do you still need me, or are you planning on making me watch Tori get raped."

"I own you, so you shouldn't have such an attitude with me." The host mockingly scolded the actor. "But I doubt you'll want to be here when the breaker gets here."

"Breaker?" Festus asked.

"Oh, yea, I figured, for an extra fee, I'd have someone break Jade, and you can have them both as additions to your harem." The host explained. "Yes, Beck, you can go."

Beck nodded to Tori's driver, and started walking towards the door. That was when one of the many men who the host had brought ran into the living room. "Boss, the girls, their not in the secured room." The man said. "I went to check on them, maybe detonate the gas grenade, and they weren't there."

"Oh, I put them in the safe room." Beck called back. "I figured, you'd know the code. Besides, Jade's resourceful. She'd have found her way out of any other room I'd have put her in withing minutes. So, just go and get her."

The hosts face contorted. "You idiot, they'll have access to the houses security feed in there, and we can't see in. Now they know whats coming."

"I'll just..." Beck motioned to leave.

"Watch him." The host said to the guard, and started walking to the safe room, calling for several of his men. Two large, intimidating men glared at Beck, making him gulp as he made some random comment about the weather in Venice. Festus rushed to keep up with the host.

In the safe room, Tori wondered "Why did he put us in the safe room?"

"Cause he's being blackmailed." Jade replied. "Bill, find me the control panel for the door."

"It's here." Kasey said. She'd been looking for the way out.

Jade used her scissors to yank it open, then started pulling wires until the fizzling let her know the panel shut down.. "The door has a default setting in case of a power outage, and for a safe room, thats locked." She stated.

"Then how do we get out?" Tori asked.

"The door will have an emergency release, one that lets us remove the hydraulic pressure thats keeping it locked." Bill explained. "What? This door has a hydraulic lock, and that makes it safer cause it's gonna be almost impossible to get in from the outside without special equipment. But from within, there's probably some device hidden in the control panel that lets us 'Dog' the door, as in release the lock, then we can just toggle it open with some kind of lever." Eyes were on him. "What? I've always been fascinated by submarines and spacecraft. Pressurized doors have their own rules."

"Okay, the first thing we need to do is count out how many guys Festus and this fixer dude have. I've bought us time, he won't just be able to use his code to open the door, but we need to get word out. That meas we need to tell the police." Jade said, looking around for ideas.

"Then good news, cause it looks like half the police in L.A. are coming over the walls." Kasey said, pointing to the security monitors that was showing the outer wall. "And look, that corner of that monitor, you can see the driver wrestling with the guard. I guess he's trying to protect Beck."

The group glanced at the screens, seeing multiple police, multiple tactical units in full police body armor, storming the mansion from all sides, popping over the outer security wall like it wasn't there. Meanwhile, vehicles were using some kind of pass code to enter through he gate and down the road, while helicopters flew low overhead. It felt like the queen of all raids.

"That arrogant S.O.B." Jade said, glaring at the screen. "Okay, I need another way out. Bill, stay here and keep Tori safe. Vega, you have my backup, use it in emergencies. Shoot for the face, cause I know you can hit it. Kasey, when we get out of here, I want that tablet checked for spyware. Oh crap, I should leave my phone, but I might need it, so I'm Turing it off. Now, how the hell do I get out of here?"

"Jade, whats up?' Tori asked.

"Becks on our side, but he didn't make it out before the raid." Jade explained as she and Bill started looking for an escape.

"The air vent?" Bill asked.

"No way, no one would leave such an obvious vulnerable point." Jade scoffed.

"Wait, Becks on our side?" Tori asked. "I thought they were blackmailing him."

"They are, but that doesn't change that he's on our side." Bill said. "Look, he deliberately put us in the one place we'd be safe from the shooting. I'm thinking the police had a laser on the window."

"No, Beck's carrying a pocket AM/FM radio, right?" Kasey pointed out. "The one you said he usually carried to meetings like this. The way I see it, the hosts guys, they checked him for a wire, and don't find squat, cause he was carrying the bug with him. It's in the radio. Hell, I'm betting they checked the radio, and had no idea what it really was."

"Okay, maybe I could get out through the air vent, but thats one hell of a squeeze." Jade griped.

"No, if you go, you go out through the door." Tori said. It felt like an order. "If Beck really did help us, then we need to help him. But Bill, Jade, I don't want either of you heading out there…."

"Once the doors open, we're vulnerable." Jade pointed out. "I'll try the air vent, see if somehow I can cut my way in. If only I had a blowtorch."

"I think I've figured out how to open this door." Kasey announced. "Okay, Boss, you're staying here until the police get here, and we know this is one of their first goals. I mean, if Beck is working with them, and he did put us in here for our own protection, that stands to reason, right? Mow, Bill, you're with us. Jade, I suspect your heading out no mater what, but if you're gonna go, you get Beck, and bring him back here."

"I'll go." Bill announced. "Jade, I know you're more of a force, but you're also hurt. I'll go get Beck."

"Sorry." Jade said as she stepped to the door. "Bar this once, I'm out." With that, she bolted out what she'd realized was an open door, right into the two guards protecting Festus and the fixer who was hosting this kidnapping.

Beck, meanwhile, was safe, but only because his police bodyguard, who was pretending to be the driver, had taken a bullet for him. Beck had pulled the injured man to safety, and was now holding the mans gun, trying to gather the courage to go out and take on the two guard who had him pinned down. It looked bad. "Mister Oliver, just stay down, make them risk coming to us." The officer said. "We have tactical raiding this place. We even have air superiority. It's just a matter of time."

"Except their raiding a huge house, with limited manpower." Beck said, looking grim. "And I need to get out of this, so I can tell that wanna be Arab fuck what a waste he is. Trust me, I'll make it out of here, get you out, and we're gonna let that pencil dick know just what happens when you mess with men." A dark smile crossed his lips. "If your single, good for you, cause this story's gonna get you laid for years to come."

Jade didn't take any risks, immediately dropping Festus with a quick leg sweep. The pretend prince went down hard, trying not to break anything as he flopped onto the ground. The host saw her move, shocked at her speed, and reacted. He knew she was wounded, had to be in some serious pain, yet she was so fluid and precise. His mind didn't bother to calculate the odds, he just ran, figuring his man would have a better time if they didn't have to protect him.

It was both the right and wrong move, cause while it kept him out of her reach, his guards momentarily took their eyes off of her to make sure he was getting away. They only had their eyes off of her for a couple of seconds, but that was seconds too long, cause in that moment, she struck. Hissing at the pain this movement was causing her, she reached out and struck one man with a blow to his unprotected throat. It was just strong enough to stun, so when she used him and a shield and weapon, he wouldn't resist. His companion wasn't experienced enough in combat to see what Jade was doing, so when she stepped between the two men, he though she'd lost. After all, here she was, a wounded woman, wrapping her arms grasping one of the other guards legs, while the other wrapped around under his arm. It must have been the struggle when her back was forcibly turned to face him. The next thing he saw was the other man being launched at him as she popped her hips and executed what was called an exploder or t-bone suplex, sending her wrestling partner over her head and into the other guard. As both guards were trying to recover from one of them being tossed into the other, Jade stepped in and used a sweeping kick to make sure neither was able to resist.

"Bill, open up. I have something for you."; She called. The big guy opened only a crack as she yanked the fake Arab to him. "Hold this." She ordered. Then she proceeded to strip the guards of their guns, their gas grenades, their radio's, and their belts. The last of those was used to bind them before she pulled them, under the watchful eyes of Bill, into the safe room. "Okay, I'll keep a radio, and you guys keep one. I'll go get Back and be right back." The entire stripping hand taken less then a minute, all in the safety of the safe room.

Bill looked at Festus. "How many men out there?" He asked. The fake Arab refused to speak.

"Bill, I'm on my way. Bar the door, and let me know whats out there, okay?" Jade said.

"We have a couple of men heading this way." Kasey warned her. "Probably more on their way. I'm guessing the host guy's sending them here."

"Don't have time for this." Jade gripped. "Close the door right behind me, and 'Dog' it locked until the police get here. I'll' deal with them."

:}

So I guess I kinda left you with that horror upon horrors, a kinda cliff hanger. Can Jade get to Beck in time? Will Tori get out alive? How many cops constitute half the force? Any why did I make Festus the bad guy? Also, who is that mysterious fixer? I'm thinking we'll find out, one way or another, next time.

So, thoughts? Let me know about this set of plot twists.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters. I make no money at this.

:}

Jade was ready to exit the safe room. She grabbed Festus's Keffiyeh, the traditional Arab headgear worn in the desert, and used it and the cord holding to distract the guards, planning on rolling out of the door while the guards hesitated. Only they didn't, and the people in the safe room were only spared the bullets because the gunfire followed the white cloth as it moved away from the door. Since Jade had dropped it to roll under, the bullets sailed above her head.

"Obviously not my guards." Fesrus observed. "Mine are elite Persian immortals, who'd never fall for as simple a trick as a headgear on a stick."

"Hello, Festus." Tori said menacingly. "Now your gonna answer my questions, cause I'm beyond pissed that a man who used to sell me food now thinks he owns me." Festus struggled in Bills arms, but it was no use, he wasn't going anywhere.

Jade used a gun, one of the ones she'd confiscated from the guards they'd captured, to take a couple of shots at the two guards outside the door, before moving away from the room in an attempt to draw them off. It wasn't as hard as she'd though to get away from this group of men, since they took shelter when she fired. Luckily for everyone, immediately after confirming that they were no longer being shot at, they got up and ran after Jade, not bothering to try and force the door. They followed the bodyguard through the house, to a nearby doorway that doubled as a corner, where they hesitated to make she she wasn't waiting right there. Satisfied that she wasn't waiting around the corner, they stepped through, moving cautiously forward. That was when she she dropped on the second man from her hiding place up near the roof, having used the door frame and the wall as braces to help her climb up and crouch near the high ceiling. One quick blow to the side of the head left that guard dazed, then she pulled the other man to her, placing him in a choke hold. The dazed guard recovered in time to have the now nearly unconscious guard pushed into him. Jade finished them both with a sweeping kick.

Beck was getting worried. While there where close to sixty swat team members deployed for this assignment, they were assaulting a big house, so it'd take time for them to make their way as far as the living room. The two guards he'd been trying to hold off had pinned him down, and now had separated, each circling in different directions, from cover to cover, trying to draw a bead on him. He knew, it was only a matter of time.

"Well, buddy, it looks like we're gonna have to make a break for it." Beck said, trying to guess the best way to hold the wounded man as they ran.

"You'll do better if you leave me behind." The cop replied.

"No, cause you have some body armor, and if I use you to shield my side, we may both make it out of here." Beck calculated. "I can be a hero, and you'll live to see whomever it is you have waiting for you at home. Like I said before, all the pussy you'll ever want is just one quick run out of here."

Beck got his arm around and under the cop, getting ready to pull the man to his feat and make the desperate run, when he stopped to take a quick look, to see where the guards were. Thats when his face broke out in a huge smile. "Or maybe we let her handle this."

Jade had arrived. She was dodging and ducking to avoid the men who had Beck pinned, as well as the hand full of men of men chasing after her. Jade was pushing her advantage, she knew what she was doing, and where she was going, while none of the guards had a clue what she was after. That advantage allow her to duck over one piece of furniture and around another, sliding to a halt near Beck. As she arrived, she tossed him something. "Over the couch, that way." She gestured. "I'll take care of the others."

"Others?" Beck asked.

"I've got at least four more here. Any idea how many guards we're dealing with?" She asked.

"Maybe thirty." Beck guessed. "That Arab faker fuck had a dozen men he'd brought, and I think the fixer had as many, if not more."

Both of them set their grenades to burst, and threw them, not worried about where they hit. A second later, there was a popping sound, and the sound of movement. "Deep breath, hold it, we gotta go now." Beck announced, pulling the cop up and helping drag him with them. Jade took the other side of the officer, helping to support his weight. They ran past where the guards had been, as they were also trying to get out, cause they all knew, in time, those grenades would take out anyone still in the room. The guards, for their part, had no desire to trade killing Beck for the certainty of being captured and tried for killing a police informant. Now was the time for escape.

Jade and Beck made their way towards the safe room. However with all the confusion, men suddenly remembering who they were trying to gun down, or take hostage, they had to divert a couple of times. As they moved, carrying the wounded officer, they saw tear gas, and Beck realized where they were. "Head towards that." Beck urged. "We're near the front door, and that way leads out."

"No, cops may be trigger happy. We find a safe place to bunker down, and have the cops head towards the safe room." Jade countered. "They do know she's in the safe room, right?"

Beck just glared at Jade. "We're heading out, through the front door, through the tear gas." He called, pulling them that way. "They'll be waiting for us."

"We'll be vulnerable." Jade protested, but they were already moving, the injured cop having sided with Beck. Jade, busy complaining while the others took a deep breath and covered anything vulnerable tot he gas, wound up taking a lung full of the tear gas. The normal effects, nausea and blindness, hacking and coughing, was having an enhanced effect on her injured body, so she was was having trouble doing much of anything beyond coughing and wheezing as they emerged from the gas into the outside. Immediately, and armored car drove up, men in gas masks hoped out and shuttled them into the vehicle, and then they drove away to the far side of the yard.

Tear gas usually caused irritation to the eyes, throat and skin, as well as some dizziness, possibly temporary blindness, or even vomiting. But in Jade, the effects were amplified, and she felt she needed to sit down as soon as the police had her, trying to catch her breath, maybe focus, or clear her eyes. She closed her eyes for just a second, to try and focus…

Jade was revived by some oxygen, her first hint that she was in an ambulance. Her face was wet from where they'd washed out her eyes and nose, while her body was still coughing up some of the gas. "How the fuck stupid are you?" Beck growled. "You're hurt, cracked ribs, and your out fighting? Whats wrong with you."

"You were in danger, and we owed you." Jade tried to argue.

"And if they'd been smart, the guards would have given up as soon as the fucking army of cops started arriving. And I do mean an army. Turns out, when they asked for volunteers to help backup the swat team, the police let it slip who they were helping, and as a result, there was a hoard of them. Nearly three hundred off duty cops in riot gear guarding all the exits." Beck explained. So yea, you should have done what I chizzing said and come with me without arguing. I expect better from you. And no fucking fighting until you heal, got it?"

Jade nodded, but had to take a deep breath of oxygen before she could say anything more. Choosing her words carefully, she asked "And Tori?"

"Their getting her now." Beck assured her. "They just had to wait for the teargas to dissipate. Cops pumped a ton of that shit into the house, pacified the fuck outta everyone, only had to play watcher for anyone trying to get out. Point is, the cops, they took the place with no losses, and managed to avoid injuring most of the guards."

"What about Tori?" Jade asked. The effects of the gas were mostly passing now, but she was still dizzy and would not be able to get up for a bit longer.

"The safe room, it's got it's own air filters." Beck explained. He sighed. "The plan was to put you guys in there, and for me to leave, then they'd assault the house with teargas and whatever else they could."

"And how'd you know we'd be able to lock down the safe room?" The blue eyed girl asked.

"We didn't." Beck said. "Nevel Papperman, the fixer, he doesn't like his name attacked to the things he does, so he had me rent the mansion, then took control of it from me. But while I was renting it, I got the combination to the safe room, and made sure he didn't even know it existed until I'd tossed you and Tori in. It was all part of Shapiro's plan, to keep you guys safe while the police raided."

"Wait, Shepiro was in on this?" Jade asked, playing catchup.

"After Nevel there contacted me with the blackmail demands, I wanted to get in contact with the police, but it turned out to be harder then I thought. I needed a safe rout, one where no one was listening in. Shapiro contacted me, and after a bit of verbal sparring, he offered as my go between." Beck said. "He's the one who insisted on a safe room, a really high end safe room, as well as me being the one renting the place, while staying in another mansion. That way, we could tell Mister Pappermen I'd have an excuse for where I was staying, with my crew saying it was a different mansion, while he'd keep both his and that fuck, Festus was it? Well, their names wouldn't be on any of he paperwork. Turns out, that was the same instructions that runt Pappermen gave me, minus the safe room, which he must feel so stupid for not asking about now, cause he's caught, and gonna get his ass raped in prison."

"And you did all of this why?" The bodyguard asked. 'Well, at least he sounds normal now.'

"Cause this way, I'm all over the news, shown in a positive light, and Trina and I can have our feud be a bit more personal and less professional." The actor beamed. "I look good, Shaprio gets a story, so he looks good, and you, well..."

"Wait, this Nevel guy, he was blackmailing you, right?" Jade asked. "Aren't you afraid.."

"Not if Trina goes along with me and pretends that whatever chiz she had on me was just rumors." Beck said. "So, assuming she does that, Nevel had nothing. That meant, I was able to set his ass up. I just had to be an actor, which you know I am, and pretend he had something major on my ass. Now, it's his ass on the line. Literally, cause he's a runt, and I believe we covered..." He didn't get to finish because Jade jumped in.

"So that meeting in Hawaii, that was you setting everything up?" Jade was amazed at her ex.

"No, that was me covering my ass." He admitted, looking just a bit more sheepish. "This all fell together after the whole New York abduction fell apart. So what, a week? Man, this happened fast. Anyways, Siobhan called me to let me know about what had happened, and it was maybe an hour after that when that hob knocker, Nevel, called to coerce me. I did my part, but was in contact with the police, through Shapiro, the entire time. And before you say anything, I realized that Robbie had the best chance of not having this fuck pouring all over his intel. I was right, since Rob is fanatic about spyware. I even suspect he had some on me, seeing as he knew to contact me after that wanker Nevel called me. I'll have to find out, before he janks me up good."

"Doesn't Siobhan hate you?" Jade asked, trying to grab onto anything that made sense.

"She loves you, and she loves that your about to get seriously involved with Tori." Beck replied. "Sides, I'm practically family, so she had to tell me, or I' find out another way." He gave a big, smug grin.

"You're employing Wayne, aren't you?" Jade asked.

"Her hubby needed a job, and I needed someone to watch my place in new York while I was out and about." Beck replied. "They even live there now, in the servants quarters. But thats not important, they have a nice place on Manhattan, with a chizzing view, and they use all of it when I'm not there."

Jade had something fairly obscene to say about Beck's spies, but never got that chance. At that moment, the door opened to reveal a pissed off looking Tori. "Jade, Beck, someone had better start talking."

"I told you what I was gonna be doing." Jade shrugged. She was sitting on the gurney now, still too dizzy to stand.

"I had an armored car waiting for me, to get me to safety, but Jade refused to run through a cloud of teargas to get there. Yes, we'd be hacking and coughing, and out eyes would sting, but we'd be fine. Instead, she took a lungful of gas, and passed out from it, all while aggravating her chizzing injuries. I'm wazzed at her for taking the risk, but she got me and an injured cop out of there, so it's all good."

"No it's not." Tori scolded them both. "Jade, if this costs you even one opportunity..."

"Like L.A. Undercover won't offer us the roles, even do what they can to protect Jade here, after this hits the airwaves." Beck smirked. "And since Nevel there was a high end independent, we're even in the clear as far as mob retaliations are concerned. Now Mister Papperman, if he squeals, they'd be real wazzed."

Tori's glare didn't diminish. "If you cost us so much as a single night..."

"So you're an item now?" Beck looked even happier. "Way to score, Jade. Tori here, she can be a real freak in the sack. But don't worry. I'm sure, once you've healed up, you'll be able to keep up."

Bill's strong arm kept Tori from lunging at the actor. "It's okay, Jade's okay, nothing too bad. She'll just need a bit of bed rest for a few days, thats it." The huge man assured his boss. "Everything's okay."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to let that chizzing fuck know how janked up his ass it gonna be once they get him to prison. I hope they send him to New York, to face charges over the whole fake bar incident, cause I know for a fact the Aryan brotherhood is hella stronger there, and his ass will look so ripe to them." Beck did a couple of thrusts with his hips or emphasis.

Bill heard, in stereo, both Jade and tori ask "What did I ever see in him?"

Tori, Jade, Bill and Kasey rejoined the tour for the last days of the south American leg, and everyone was in a better mood. "And here you can clearly see Beck reminding Festus that he had, and I quote, 'A stubby pencil dick.' Yea, I was with that for ten years. I must have been gay, and a masochist, to keep letting that dominate my life." Tori was telling the dancers as she showed then the slide show on her pad. They were backstage, in that magic time between sound check and the show, when sometimes there's not that much for the performers to do. She was so engrossed in her story, she hadn't noticed the shadow of her sister watching the presentation.

"Okay, Tori, business meeting. Grab Kasey and meet me in my office, cause we got to get this meeting going." Trina said before walking towards the office they'd arranged for her at the show. "Hurry, everyone else is here, and they're waiting." She called back as she disappeared into the room

Tori grumbled, but walked to the office with her assistant. Jade wasn't out and about where she could see her, so was probably at the security station in the office. Tori smiled at the thought of her girl, forced to sit by despite the doctor saying she could do some of her job. 'Just not the fighting.' Tori reminded herself. 'Or the sex. Not until she'd past her next checkup.'

Tori and Kasey joined the others in the office. "Okay, lets get things going." Trina smiled. "First, lets all congratulate Jade here, who's gonna be moving to part time while she pursues her dream. We've negotiated her roll on L.A. Undercover, and it's got the potential to be a recurring roll. The bad, it's as Beck's partner, but we'll overlook how happy he was to put Tori here in the line of fire to get our stalker. A stalker who turned out to be the guy who owned the 'Grub Truck' from school. Man I wish I'd kicked his ass when I had the chance. I mean, I saw the way he used to leer at the girls. I just never..."

"I never found out, how'd he afford the high end mercs he was using." Malcolm commented.

"According to Robbie, Shapiro, Festus invested in exploring some of the resources of his home country, Yerba, and made a fortune." Kasey said, glancing at her brand new Pearpad. "He was even a silent partner in their dictatorship. Their Chancellor must not have liked him, cause as soon as Festus was arrested, the Yerbainian government traded information on his slave camps, where they made the prisoners dig up resources, for a better relationship with the U.S., as well as a good deal with the company who's now getting those rare earths out."

"Getting distracted." Trina growled. "The point is, Jade here will be leaving the tour in a week for a couple of weeks of shooting for the show, and then she'll be back for a few days before her next roll, which I haven't found for her yet. The thing is, we'll be keeping her on as part time, but we're also replacing her. Not immediately, cause our security situation is far better then it had been. But we'll have too. Jade'll be in and out until her first movie, then she'll just be gone. Oh, and Tori, I've got you set to film an arc of L.A. Undercover as well, once the tours over. We'll be looking for other ways to keep you out there acting."

"Goodie, I'll be on the show with Jade." Tori did a happy dance.

"Lets hope." Trina smiled. She now knew to negotiate them working together. "Andre."

"Okay, We have another thing to discuss, and thats our post tour security." Andre started. "We're looking at our options and have come to the following conclusions, we need to add two new people to replace the one's were leaving, and we have others who's jobs are being revamped."

"Wait, who's leaving?" Jade asked.

"You." Tori said with a smile.

"Oh, right, having my dream come true." Jade said, looking down. Tori reached over to squeeze her hand, giving the grumpy girl a kiss on the cheek. Trina smiled at that, knowing Jade's reaction was a combination of nerves and embarrassment over forgetting she was moving on to bigger and better things.

"Then there's Bill and Ron, who will continue to be security, but are also gonna be attending a wrestling school for a while, just cause they could use the break." The head of security added. "After that, once their back from their little vacation, I'm gonna train them to act as liaisons for whatever local security we wind up using for the next tour. Given their learning curves, that could take most of the time Tori here uses to recharge and then record her next album."

Trina took that moment to look softly at her sister. "Tori, for the record, no more hit everywhere tours. Pay per view, baby. You're gonna do movies, and television, and whatever it takes to sell that music of yours." Her hand went up, silencing any outburts from the megastar. "I know you love performing live, but we're not touring like a struggling artist any more. From now on, when we travel, we go in style, and take as many as we can that way. Now you stay quiet, cause there's more to discuss."

Trina's smile broadened, as her brown eyes were now focused on one particular member. "The last person leaving normal security is Ryder here."

"What?" He started. "What did I do?"

"Ryder, I'm ready to have a family." Trina's eyes softened, belying her stance. The predator in her was standing, moving, stalking her prey. "I figured now's as good a time as any, since I'm gonna have a lot more free time after the tour. So I figured you'd like to help take care of my kids. I'll even give you a choice of titles, manny... or Daddy." By then, she'd backed the tall boy into the wall.

"Daddy…?" He asked.

"I had my IUD removed a couple of weeks ago." The manager explained, mostly to him, but everyone in the room could hear. "Depending on how long it takes for things to get back to normal, I could already be expecting." She noticed how close she was to him now, and took a half step back.

"Just think, soon she could have a whole new life she's micromanaging." Malcolm gushed. His smiled died when Trina glared at him.

"I guess I'm saying, it may already be too late for you to run." Trina told her lover.

"And why would I want to run?" Ryder asked. "Trina, I.. I don't know what to say. We need a list of names, boys and girls, cause you know we won't agree on the first ones. And godparents, in case something happens to us. You gotta be prepared. And..."

"And maybe you could get married." Andre chimed in. The look Trina gave him was enough to cause him to shrink back. "What was I thinking.." He mumbled.

Trina looked back at Ryder, allowing the strong feelings she had for him to wash over her. She gave him a soft kiss, thankful for his understanding, only for the kiss to deepen. Her hands found his belt, and followed it around until she was pulling him closer, while letting her hand slid down his body to a more tactilely satisfying place to hold him. He stated to shift, to move her around, instigating a struggle fro dominance that Ryder knew he'd lose, even if he won...

"Um, sis, not to break things up, but it looks like your getting ready to conceive right now, and I don't think I wanna see that." Tori chimed in. "Cause, well, your my sister, plus I think I'm done with penises."

"Oh deary, I got you a couple of toys, as a congratulations for coming out of the bi closet." Malcolm said. "And thats a tough closet to come out of, because no one seems to believe in you. It's like forty year old virgins. They exist, people see them all the time, but they just can't seem to wrap their minds around the fact that they exist."

Trina and Ryder had broken apart, now very aware that the others were still there. Ryder was blushing, while Trina was thinking, trying to decide what she needed to say to get some alone time with her man. 'Do I have time?' She asked herself.

"So she has a dick?" Jade said, smirking.

"Don't laugh." Tori warned. "Who do you think I'm gonna be using them on?"

"I think maybe this meeting is over." Andre chimed in. "I'll go over stuff with the rest of security, including our cyber security, and you Vega girls, you do what you have to make it through the show. Ryder, Jade, good luck. I suspect you'll need it."

"Whats that supposed to mean?" Jade growled.

"That we need to go to my dressing room to go over my latest adventure." Tori purred in her ear. "Just as soon as I contact your doctor and make sure you're cleared for everything I'm gonna do to you." She pulled out her phone, hesitated, then spoke to her assistant. "Kasey, I need you to call Doctor Howser and see if Jade's healthy for, um, I'm sending you a list."

"Not calling yourself?" Jade wondered.

"Guys, gonna have sex here." Trina urged the others out of her makeshift office.

"I get embarrassed." The pop princess replied.

"Everyone out, baby making time." Malcolm urged as he all but pushed them out of the room. The door closed with a resounding thud. Malcolm was standing guard.

"Jade, would you escort me to my room." Tori purred, smirking. "Then maybe tie yourself to the bed. I'm not sure I'm strong enough to do that."

"We still have a show to do." Andre reminded them. "And for the love of my loins, lets not have that kind of discussion in public. Kasey, when Jade's cleared for sex, you make sure Tori and I both know. Tori, cause she looks like she ready to explode, and me, cause I need a few days warning to get away from this new side of the tour."

Tori and Jade walked over to her dressing room, with the bodyguard reminding her that it lacked a bed. It did, however, have a couch, so they could play a little, as long as it didn't go too far. "Tori, I love you, but it's part of my job to make sure your up to performing." jade cautioned the starlet, only to be met with a kiss.

As the group broke up for the next couple of house, Andre pulled Bill and Ron aside. "Um, guys, I don't know how to broach this subject, and I'm not gonna say it anywhere near Tori, Trina and especially Jade, but we've been given an offer, and I feel I should let you know..." His voice faded, worry etching it's way onto his face.

"How bad is it?" Bill wondered aloud.

"It's Beck." Dre said, his voice low. "He's let us know he doesn't want some of the girls he's dating hanging around him, not after he's done, so he's not asking his entourage to take them."

"And since you used to be friends, he's offered them to you?" Ron asked.

"He's offered them to us." Andre corrected. "Fits his mindset, girls are either not feminine, or their hoe's to be traded out when he gets board of them."

"Jade's feminine." Ron defended her, a surprise to Andre, who was expecting that from Bill. The two had been paired a lot more in the past year plus. "She'll just rip your dick off if you insult her, and I see now why Beck doesn't include her among the girly girls he likes to date."

"Point is, Becks made the offer, and I know that sometimes, you guys have trouble getting dates, so.." Andre got ready to continue.

"I'm out." Bill said. "Of the offer, still like girls. Fact is, after everything we've been through, Kasey and I kinda bonded. We've started seeing one another, even though I'm far too young for her."

"You're older then she is." Ron pointed out.

"But she was dating Bebop, and he's like ninety." Bill said. "Anyways, we're keeping it casual, cause she wants, well, I don't think she knows what she wants, but she knows she's not getting it from Bebop. Sides, once this tours over, he's going on tour with another band, so she's gonna be alone for a few months. They broke up, and he's out doing..."

"Groupies." Andre finished for him. "What about you, Ron?"

"I'm in." The other guard said. "What? I wasn't partnered with Jade, so I didn't have her corrupting girly morals influencing me. I'm still a man looking for something, and Beck dates hotties."

"Good." Andre said. "Lets just keep the girls out of the loop on this one, okay?"

Over the next couple of months, a new new normal settled on the tour. Tori was privileged to watch as someone else was the focus of Trina's considerable media savvy. Tori would always be Trina's number one priority, but Jade was now a focus too. Jade had to do a dozen plus interview classes, with Tori acting as the peanut gallery, before the manager felt she was ready to face the media.

Beck loved it. For the actor, it was a new push in his career. He played it off as having suspected, for a while, about Tori's sexuality. He made a point of being upset that they broke up, and even more upset that he'd been lied to for years, to the point where he blamed Trina, and she blamed him, and it led to bad blood. "I doubt we'll ever really be friends, all things considered, but we have a workable relationship now." Beck explained to as many news organizations as would hear him out.

Beck had signed on with Trina, having her act as his manager and media consultant. She would allow a real public relations agent to handle his image, not wanting any part in that aspect of his life. Instead, she worked with him to plot out his career. Like Jade, he was going to do a lot of short runs on L.A. Undercover. Unlike her, Trina had a plan to get him into a regular show, probably a sitcom, where his charisma and appeal would help him earn a regular paycheck. She just needed to wait until they could find a project. 'Or have someone create on, all around him...'

In return for Trina's help as a manager, Beck agreed to act as Jade's one man public face while the goth was still acting as Tori's bodyguard. So while he was making the rounds, telling his side of the story to any talk show that would listen, he made a point of mentioning Jade, just not directly enough to cause problems. Instead, he hinted at what she'd done, but played coy, not going into who did what until later, after he'd decided it was "The timming was right."

Trina had told him "Just three months, that all the time we need, and then Jade can be all over the press. Just three months. But we both know the time to strike on the arrest of Nevel Papperman and Festus Al-Yerba is now. So, in return for my forgiveness, and my help in plotting your career, you keep the fires burning, mention the projects she's attached too, but keep your mouth closed about who it was who helped get your ass out of that bad situation."

Lucy Spiller, working with Robbie Shapiro, did a wonderful job of speculating, slowly working out who it was who helped Beck, as well as Jade's roll that night. Robbie, to his credit, even covered the whole New York scenario, all while keeping exactingly who Jade was a secret. He had the exclusive first interview with her, and Tori, for after everything blew up and she could be outed as a hero and celebrity.

Robbie did a whole expose on Festus, all his dirty dealings, and even when he started working with Nevel. They discovered that, up until the failed abduction attempt that injured Andre, Festus relied on his own people to hire mercenaries and plan the snatch. Despite the intelligence involved, it was a failure. Festus had no contingency plan. So he approached Nevel, hired the man to help plan things out, and the new york plan was born. Festus had previously worked with Nevel to plant spyware on Kasey's pad, and from there infect the whole cloud account. But the inclusion of Nevel added the mercenaries, deeper layers of misinformation, and contingency planning, leading to Tori being the one who got lucky to escape in New York. There was even a plan to have Tori housed in Yerba until she was forgotten. It was a well received piece that would win Robbie an award.

Tori, for her part, managed to keep her head, not spill the beans about who had helped rescue her, for the entire remainder of Jade's time on the tour. It helped that Jade was in and out so much, working on projects. Still, the day came when Jade was walking Tori to her car, after the show, for the last time before heading out to make her movie.

"Wait, I wanna sign a couple of autographs." Tori announced. It was hardly new, and the raven haired bodyguard just rolled her eyes and looked over the gathering of fans. There were a lot more paparazzi there that night, but they'd started following the tour more since Beck started his media blitz. It was expected. Bill and Ron had already gone out to flanking positions, with a couple of local off duty cops filling in the open spaces. Security was tight.

Tori signed a few autographs, quickly working her way through the fans. Jade was almost amazed how quickly this batch was being cycled through, even with Tori smiling and chatting with each of them for a moment before moving to the next person. It was the last time Jade would miss a crucial warning, and it was because she was so busy looking out at the crowd she missed it.

"Okay, I need to say something." Tori announced. "I never had the chance to properly thank my bodyguard, Jade West, for saving me in New York, or for her roll in Los Angeles that led to the arrest of several dangerous men. She, by the way, directly captured Festus, so I need to let her know just what she means to me."

Jade had turned to look at the pop princess, now very aware of the many cameras, most taking video. She saw how close Tori had gotten to her, as well as Bill, who was right behind them while Ron had moved to covered the limo door. "So, Jade, this is how I show my appreciation. Well, this, and other things I discussed with Robbie Shapiro in an exclusive interview thats airing, I believe, tomorrow."

"Tori, you don't...' The rest of the sounds Jade made where muffled by Tori's lips, now locked in combat with her own. The kiss went on far longer then the blue eyed girl was ready for, ending with a last deep kiss. "Now that your not guarding my ass, I think it's time I saw all of your again." Tori said in a low, husky voice.

Bill ushered them into the waiting car, and it took off. Jade was bright red, embarrassed at how Tori had handled the whole announcement. "OH MY CHIZZING GOD, VEGA!" She screamed. "WHAT THE CHIZZING HELL?!"

"What the fucking hell." Tori said casually. "You're allowed to use grown up words."

"You made it look..." Jade tried to think of what to say. "Like, like..."

"Like I was gonna nail that ass?" Tori asked, smiling an innocent smile. "Pla-eeze, I've already had that ass. I believe I've had just about all of you, haven't I? Well, not in public."

"I think you meant..." Bill started.

"She knows what she meant, sweetheart." Kasey interrupted the big guy. "No, doing it in public, thats our thing." She added with an evil smile, watching as her man looked both panicked and a bit excited.

"Jade, sweety, your going off to make your movie, and I'll only see you on your frequent conjugal visits." Tori cooed. "Of course I let the world know about our relationship. As much as I'd like this whole romance to stay between you and me, I'm a very public figure, and your about to become one. No, this is when you accept that your not my bodyguard anymore. You're my girlfriend. That means holding hands, kissing, and who knows what else, all in public. So, we good?"

"I choose my swimwear." Jade protested.

"Just as long as I get to see you naked." Tori smiled. "Thats for me, only, and if Beck tries to wrangle you into some kind of script or story where he see's whats mine, he'll need a bodyguard."

Several months later:

The limo drifted through the crowded streets of Los Angles, slowly making it's way to the church. Jade found herself watching out the window, not quite seeing how the world flowed by. Her thoughts were on a million other things. Things like how she was in love with her one time client, and had even moved in with the girl. Or how Trina was even more intimidating pregnant, which had thankfully allowed them to travel in two limos.

"Miss West, once we get to the venue, I'll need to be sure you won't be deviating from the program, okay?" Mister Unger was saying. Jade pulled her attention from the scattered clouds decorating the blue sky to focus on the speaker. "The church is secured, but the parking lot, everything around it, that open territory. Public buildings and open streets that are too accessible. I go first, then you, and we have Mister Madison taking up the rear."

"Andre? Really?" Jade questioned the head of Tori's security.

"What?" He looked far too amused.

"I don't need to be lectured on what to do." She snapped. "I was a bodyguard."

"And a damn good one too." The security chief cut in, not letting her get off on a rant. "But that was before you and Tori hooked up. I'm sorry, but rules are rules, and your a client now. That means you have a man watching your back, and you follow protocols. Mister Unger goes first, then you, then me taking up the flank, then Tori, then Mister Madison. Classic three man security spread. Meanwhile, Ryder has his security team, only needing two cause Trina doesn't draw as many crazies, so they can make do with Bill and Ron giving cover. And we do give cover, at least until you make it into the church, where there's heavy security and you can relax and enjoy the wedding."

"I'm gonna be a brides maid." Tori chimed in. Her dress, like the rest of the brides maids, was a beautiful burgundy gown that flattered her body. The darker lipstick and makeup that went with the gown looked different on Tori, less girl next door and more fem fatal. Jade liked it.

"I don't get it." Jade groaned, pointing at her girlfriend. "I thought the brides maids had to look hideous, so the bride would be the prettiest girl at the wedding. And why didn't I get a radio link?"

"B, you didn't get a link cause, in addition to ruining the lines of that dress, you a guest." Andre tried to explain again. "And A, Cat's not worried about the competition. Plus, there's gonna be a ton of paparazzi there, so we all have to be looking sharp. Even security is dressed up for this one."

"Ryder got a link." Jade pointed out. She was wearing a fairly classy black dress, simple with classic lines, that showed off her curves in a very flattering way.

"Trina's eight months pregnant." Dre shot back. "And in the bridal party. You, as much as I love you, Cat just doesn't know you that well, so you aren't considered necessary to the bridal party, or security. All Cat really knows about you was were her bodyguard a few times in New York, and the girl she secretly sent to have Tori fall for so our girl here could break up with Beck and find herself a happy relationship. Hell, even I was stunned when that made Beck more of a decent human being."

"You're not dating him." Tori snipped. "He's a jerk, and always will be. He's only nice to me now cause Jade's like a sister to him, and he doesn't wanna make enemies." She punctuated that statement by leaning over and capturing her girls lips in a deep kiss.

"Save it for the press." Andre joked, smiling.

"Besides, you only like him cause he sets you up with models." Jade teased. Her relationship with Beck was better, but it was a long way from where it had once been, even as friends.

"Miss West, a reminder, we'll be heading from here to the venue for the reception as soon as the wedding is over. Thats gonna be a crazy time, so we'll have you and the others wait for the majority of the guests to file out, then we move you in small clusters to your cars, have them pull up as close to the church as possible." Mister Unger reminded her.

"And from there, we're heading out to New York for a few days as I get ready to perform on Saturday night live, again." Tori gloated. "I'm hosting."

"When do I get to host?" Jade asked, feeling extra whiny. But as a New Jersey native, and having lived one bridge away from New York her entire early life, hosting SNL was a dream she could never have Imagined before.

"Maybe after your movie gets released, or they decide to do that spinoff for L.A. undercover with you in the lead, even if you'll be pairing with Beck." Tori said, smiling. "It's what we moved you to Los Angleles for, remember?"

"You mean it wasn't for the sex?" Jade asked, only to be silenced with a kiss.

The car came to a stop, and Jade held her girls hand. "Remember, Sweety, your a celebrity now, and the press is always watching." Tori reminded her.

"God I hope not, cause last night..." Jade was cut off by another kiss. Then the door opened, and Jade West was once more introduced to the public.

:}

And thats a story. Hope everyone was happy to be along for the ride. Yes, I gave Beck a chance to redeem himself, even if he's still a jerk. I mean, he was so pissed at being insulted by Festus, he was willing to help bring him down. But I like twists, and I liked that one.

I want to thank everyone who reviewed, everyone who read this story, and everyone who skimmed through looking for the cutesy moments. But mostly, the reviewers. You never know when something you say lets me see a hole in my plot I need to fill.

So, for the last time in this story, review. Let me know what you thought about the chapter, the resolutions, Beck's taunting dangerous men, anything. Was Trina direct enough in letting Ryder know her desires? What did you think of the new men on security? Anything you wanna ask, go ahead.


	25. Bonus Chapter: Tori & Jade's first date

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters.

This is for JadeLynAshley, who wanted just a touch of fluff in Bodyguard.

Back in Chapter 22, Jade told Tori that if she just relaxed and performed a good show, they'd have a late dinner together and call it a date. This is what happened that evening.

:}

It was getting late, but Jade wasn't worried about that. Tori would be up for a while anyways. It took the singer time to come down from a good performance. 'Kinda the opposite of the way she was after that show in London, the one after she and Beck had just broken up. Man, that was a night.' Jade mused. It was her own need to distract that kept Jade from just sitting down and enjoying the anticipation of the meal Tori had ordered for them. The hotel had a five star restaurant, and was capable of cooking up just about anything a guest might need, often at the most odd of hours.

"Okay, I'm almost ready." Tori called from the bathroom.

"Don't hurry on my account." Jade called back. Thats when she realized she was pacing. Again! 'Chiz, I thought I had that under control.'

"So, wha da ya think?" Tori asked stepping out wearing a long light blue robe, reminiscent of the kind of flashy thing that wrestlers might wear over their ring gear. "Too much?"

"I thought we were taking it easy." Jade replied. The normally confident bodyguard was having trouble adjusting to the changes. Her feelings, her now apparent fantasies, where all a bit much for a girl who was so used to being in control. Her imagination went wild, mixing with her memories of seeing the singer naked, as well as far too many trips tot he beach where Tori's body was on display.

"We are." Tori smiled, flashing the pale girl the sleepwear she had on under the robes. It was her comfort mustachioed pajamas, the warm and fuzzy ones she wore when she needed to feel loved. "I wanted to be ready for us to just cuddle into sleep, like we did back in London."

"Where you hogged the pillows?" Jade smirked. 'Those are the PJ's her parents sent her, the ones like the pair she had as a kid.' Jade reminded herself. She realized she really did know a lot about Tori and here past. The reminder of Tori's tendency to hog the pillows was as much cover for how nervous Jade felt as a reminder of the last time they'd shared a bed, just the two of them.

"Give me something else to hold, and you can have the pillows." Tori smirked back. "Okay, I'll need two, but the rest, there all yours. That is, if I have something, or someone, to hold."

"I, uh, got that part." Jade said as she took her seat. "Damn, where's dinner?" Tori's aggressiveness was now on display, and once again Jade felt a bit uncomfortable. 'Need to regain control here.' She said to herself, looking at the door as if that would somehow cause dinner to arrive.

"It takes time." Tori said, a warm smile now overtaking the earlier smirk. "They have an off hours chef on duty, but only the one guys, instead of a whole crew to do the cooking for him like the regular hours chefs have. So we have to wait, sharing him with anyone who wants a late night snack."

"Who besides you would want a late.. You know what, forget it. I'm sure there are dozens of people getting room service right now." The blue eyed girl admitted.

"So, lets spend the time getting to know one another better..." Tori opened, motioning for her bodyguard to sit down again.

"How much better can we get to know one another?" Jade asked. "We've seen each other naked, and since they recommend I avoid strenuous activities for while, cause of the cracked ribs..."

Tori cut her off. "God, Jade, there's more to life then just sex." She huffed.

"Says the girl with a dozen pictures of my ass." Jade shot back.

"I only had ten." Tori defended herself.

"Had?" Jade asked.

"I kinda had Kasey take a couple more tonight, while you weren't looking." Tori admitted. "But I only did it cause I needed something…."

It was Jade's turn to jump in and cut the other girl off. "It's okay. I totally get it. If you can't have the real thing, might as well have some photos to keep you warm. I'm just surprised you didn't have her take a couple of the girls."

"A, I wanted deniability for the next time you accused me of having ten pictures of your ass." Tori counted on her finger. "And B, I have plenty of pictures of the girls. Pictures of you in swimwear. Hell, I even have video of them bouncing. I don't need any more for my, um..."

"Guys call it a spank bank." Jade offered.

"Regardless, I want the real thing." Tori said. But her confidence was growing. "I know I can't have it, not now, so I'll wait. In the meantime, you know an awful lot about me, and I know so little about you. Share."

It was the first time Jade could remember having a conversation like this where Tori hadn't blushed by that point. Instead, the singer was growing bolder. "Okay, Beck was my first, and practically my only boyfriend." Jade said. "I might have dated a bit out of desperation, but I was way to hurt to just sleep with any one night stand I might meet."

"Except for MMA groupies." Tori sniped.

"Okay, yes, I have sex with a girl who wanted a night with a dangerous cage fighter, happy?" Jade groaned.

"No, cause you haven't shared anything with me. I know about her, how you thought she wanted more from you." Tori said. "Remember, part of the reason I took us to that bar back in New York was me trying to know more about you. I was, am, feeling kinda desperate to get to know you. The real you."

"You learned a lot about me that night." Jade pointed out.

"But you didn't tell me anything." The megastar groaned. "Jade, let me in. I really want to see more of you." Jade opened her mouth, and Tori's hand went up. "I mean, I shared, almost from the get go. Tell me something about yourself that I don't already know."

"Sine the early sharing was as much you acting all rebellious, I'll be wanting you to share something first." Inwardly, Jade felt she'd just played her best hand. 'I mean, I wanna share with her, let her in,. But what will she think when she realizes I'm just… Me.'

"I dated a creeper." Tori admitted. "Back before I was on American Voice, but after we moved and I was at Hollywood Arts, I briefly dated Sinjin. You remember him? Well, he was a creeper back in school. So while Trina was auditioning for the show, making her infamous audition fail that American Voice used to practically make my career, I was at high school, all alone, and Sinjin asked me out."

"And you were swept off your feet by what? His manly ways?" Jade wondered. She knew Tori had introduced them, but only the once. She was having trouble picturing what he must have been like in school.

"No, I kinda felt sorry for him." Tori admitted. "I was at a new school, feeling abandoned by my sister, and this boy, this weird, nerdy boy, was trying to be nice to me. So I agreed to go out on a date or two with him, just to be nice, to give him a chance. I was like that back in school, always wanting to give people a chance, see if there was more to them then what met the eye. We only went on the four dates..." Tori's voice faded

"So you dated a creeper, and he managed to last four dates before you realized this guy might just be planning on burying you in the desert?" Jade asked, trying not to laugh.

"No, I figured him out almost from the get go." Tori countered. "It took me four dated to realize I was the wrong princess for that fog."

"Oh..." Jade said, trying to decide what she could tell Tori about herself. That admission deserved at least something. "I'm guessing that was when the princess in you almost died, right? Must have been hard to hold onto that youthful idealism, the desire to see the best in people. That dream that if you were your best, saw the best in everyone, you'd have your happily ever after. I can see why you wanted to live that lie as long as possible."

"Says the right frog." Tori said, smirking again. The look on Jade's face was priceless. Tori thought about leaning in, just to see what happened.

That burgeoning moment, awkward as it was, was interrupted by a knocking at the door and the sound of a voice ringing out, saying "Room Service."

Seconds later, their dinner was being wheeled in by a bell boy. Tori and the boy spoke in Spanish, her telling him how she wanted the table set, with him obviously kissing her ass. It only took a few moments for the table to have a cloth tossed over it, candles lit and placed on the table, flowers added for atmosphere, and then their dinners were placed in front of them. Tori carefully examined the bottle before having the bell boy open it and taking a sniff of the contents. After taking a taste, she had two glassed poured, signed for the meal, and gave the man a notable tip.

Jade sighed. "I supposed it'll be a while before I can enjoy a good whine." she said, eying the bottle. She had been prescribed painkillers, if she needed them, and alcohol and drugs don't mix.

"Same for me." Tori said, offering the second glass to Jade. "This is sparkling cider. A good choice for our meals, I'm told. I have juice, and water, as well, if you want some."

"What was with the act, sniffing the top, sampling it, all that chiz?" Jade asked. 'Was she putting me on?'

"Just giving the bell boy a laugh." Tori replied. "I was talking to him about that, and we agreed it would be kinda funny. I'll bet he's laughing all the way back to the restaurant."

"You do that a lot?" Jade wondered.

"You've known me a while, and haven't noticed I love people?" Tori asked. "Sometimes, you just meet someone who you can have some fun with, and clean your mind cause I don't mean it that way. That boy, he and I could have joked with one another for a bit, cause we have similar scenes of humor. I just wanted to indulge. Now, I believe you own me some back story."

Jade sighed, trying to find the right thing to say. "There's a part of New Jersey that has a split identity. The jersey shore is a long piece of land, but the part near New york, it's under pressure to be two things at once,. Both Jersey tough, and New York sophisticated. I know, kinda not what a lot of people think of when they think of New York City, but it's true. And I grew up right in the middle of that contradiction. Too poor to live in New York, I lived across the river and in another state. But I wasn't cut off from the whole world of The Big Apple. I could take a train, or a bus, or even a ferry, and go visit the city. I saw shows off, off Broadway, cause once you get a couple of offs, the shows aren't that expensive. I went to clubs. I did everything I could to take in the city, be like the people who lived there. Beck and me, we'd travel together, take the subway, take the buss, whatever it took to get us into the city and to where the lights were. Of course, there are a lot of dangers traveling that territory, so we learned early how to cross other gang turfs, how to be as safe as possible, and how to trade on the one thing we could sell without it being a bad thing. You'd be surprised how being white can sometimes be an advantage."

Tori nodded, listening with all her attention. 'I wonder, what did their skin color have to do with crossing through gang territory?' The singer wondered.

"Anywas, I was tough, capable of handling myself if things started to go sideways. Beck realized it was a hella lot more then just physical strength, or martial training. I had a knack for small unit tactics, for figuring out what to do in a tight situation. I knew how to identify the biggest threat, and how to end things fast in a brawl." Jade continued. "So he started, as we were getting lost in puberty, he started showing me a lot of attention, using me as his enforcer, the scrapper who would watch his back and make sure the few times he couldn't talk his way outta something, we could fight our way out."

"Beck always was a charmer." Tori agreed.

"And I'm drifting from my point." Jade said, pulling back to the present. "I don't think I had a choice, he knew me well enough to push my buttons. And despite all that, there as a time, before I was working for you, where I'd have jumped at the chance to be his girl again."

"And now?" Tori asked.

"Now his hold on me isn't so strong." Jade said, smiling. "Someone else has worked her way into my heart. And you make me feel as special as he ever did. I kinda want this whole thing to work out, for me to have the fairy tale ending. But then I remember, I'm just a scrapper from Jersey, who entered entertainment with the goal of one day having my face be a part of the opening montage for Saturday Night Live. I never once learned how to be funny, to tell jokes, and I wanted a part on Saturday night live. See, I learned to act, whatever Beck wanted me to do, but I allowed myself to drift to what was easy, cause I failed at everything else. Being a Bodyguard is the best I can do. Anything else, and I'm gonna fail."

"You can sing, you can act, your skilled as hell in that martial arts stuff you do, and I'll bet you can dance." Tori said, her voice growing stern. "And if things go right, I'm gonna marry you, ass and all, and make you mine. I love that you never once let yourself give up. Not when the shit hit the fan back in New York, and not when it was time to sneak me out. Now, however, we're talking about your career. If Trina wants you to go away, make a movie or maybe be on a television show, you fucking do it. Thats not abandoning me, it making sacrifices so we can be together. So, chin up and be strong, cause I won't let you give up on your dream."

Jade smiled. "Sorry, feeling sorry for myself there. I usually don't let my guard down long enough to let hat happen."

"You life is about to change." Tori said, smiling. "It's understandable."

Tori took Jade's hand, giving it a little squeeze. "Can I say something?" The singer asked.

"Sure." A shy smile crossed the pale girls face.

Tori continued to hold Jade's hand, saying "One thing I noticed about you was you love to be in control. Even when Andre's the boss, you have that part of you that wants to take charge and make things happen. And this, all of this, it's out of your control. You can't help but fall for me, not saying I'm irresistible, but that probably helped." She flashed that winning smile. "I am saying, however, that it had to be terrifying for you, taking this huge risk on a part of your life you believed would never happen. You're in control of your destiny, but so is Trina, and me, and even Beck. I'm thinking he's trying to make up for something, don't you? But, the point is, I love you. I've accepted that. You've accepted it. So, now, lets just enjoy dinner, and maybe some not so light talk. I've heard pieces, but tell me about growing up in your family. About Enzo, and Siobhan, and about all he people who helped shape this wonderful girl who's gonna be stuck helping Trina with her, um…."

"Trina's up to something else?" Jade asked, smiling.

"Lets just say, we're in the process of giving her yet another project, okay?" Tori said. "Now, I'm gonna lean over and kiss my girl, then we're gonna eat. You'll tell me about your family, all of them, and I'll listen. I really wanna know everything."

Jade give a big sight. "So, I'm letting you in?" The pale skinned girl asked.

"I've seen you without your cloths. Now it's time to see you naked." Tori said.

"Oh my chiz, if thats from Firefly, we have a lot to talk about." Jade said, trying to sound angry.

"You're a fan?" Tori asked. "Of course you are. How the hell else would you know that line from that show. From one of the episodes that wasn't shown in the original run, might I add. So much to learn about you. So, babe, tell me about your life?"

"Give me a kiss for confidence." Jade said. "And let me try just a taste of that, um, what the hell is it?"

"There are some wonderful vegetarian meals out there." Tori said, leaning over to kiss Jade again, before sneaking a fork full of her meal into the other girls mouth. "Like it? Good, cause I've done a lot of sharing, and I wanna know about your family."

Jade started telling Tori about growing up, letting the things the other girl knew be filled in. After they ate, Tori stood and offered the other girl her hand. "Dance with me." She said. "I just wanna hold you and sway to the music." Jade accepted, standing and dancing for just a bit, by the window and under the moonlight. The moment was romantic, the kind of moment that the hotel would love to capture and put in their brochure. Despite the magic in the air, both girls knew that it was already fairly late when they srtarted, and that they'd have to go to bed soon.

"Damn, your a good dancer." Jade said.

"Funny, West." Tori growled. "This kind of dancing, it's nothing more then leaning into each other and swaying to the music. Now, I'll admit, the way your built, it feels wonderful. I can feel the strength in your body, not to mention how soft yet firm other parts of you are. But this, it's not the dancing that we appreciate, its the time together."

"Just can't take a compliment, can you?" Jade asked, smirking.

"Oh, I could, if you were to say I was comfortable, or you felt safe in my arms." Tori gave a squeeze for emphasis, and saw her bodyguard flinch. "Sorry..." She tried to pull away, only for Jade to hold on.

"Yes, it hurts, but I've had worse." The pale girl explained. "Besides, I like it when you hold me. It makes me feel... special. Loved. Whats a little pain if I'm getting that with it."

"The difference between us being intimate sooner or later." Tori said, but smiled. "I like the way you smell. I can really smell it from here. It's not what I expected, all old spice and musk. I smell lavender, and vanilla..."

"Still a girl." Jade said. "Still care what I smell like, what my skin feels like when I'm caressed, or caressing someone. I still want to be held sometimes, cause even the strongest of us have our nights when the monsters win, and we just don't have the strength to face them any more. I have my moments when the blanket is my shield against the world, and I hope nothing bothers to look under it. But I'm an adult, a bodyguard, and I can push those fears down, for a while. But every so often, I gotta let them out, or I'll explode."

"Awww." Tori cooed. "I'm trying not to want to take you right now."

"I was trying to be open, romantic." Jade explained.

"You were. Thats the problem." Tori said, looking her in the eye. "And thats why I'm saying, you're gonna have to sleep in your own room. Now, I wanna hold you, squeeze you until you feel safe, but with those ribs, I'm gonna have to give you distance. And hay, look, the time. It's been magical, like a musical, something you'd see off off off broadway. I so want this night to never end. But I also want Trina to be in a good mood, and heaven help us if I'm not up to snuff for my performance on Conan."

As Jade walked out of her room, she and Tori both agreed it was a successful date. Tori walked her as far as the door out of her room, and then kissed Jade goodnight. Her hands behaved, allowing Jade to feel like a woman, maybe a princess, for the short walk back to her own room. Tori had gone to bed, and it was time for Jade to follow suit.

Jade got o her room, and checked her phone to see if anything happened that she needed to know about. Everyone save Trina had texted asking the same question. "How'd it go?"

Her response to most of hem was a mass tweet saying "None of your business." But to Trina, she sent a text saying "Promising dinner. Made progress. I'm sure Tori is dying to fill you in on the details."

She drifted to sleep watching the other side of her bed. "Am I really ready to share this with her?" She wondered. She already knew it was too late to back out. She'd given Tori her heart. 'I just hope she shares the pillows.'

:}

So, fluffy enough for you?

Not sure if there will be any more bonus chapters. But I did owe you guys this much. Thanks to JadeLynAshley for pointing out the deficiencies.


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